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This is not a reprinting of the information in Winter Court: Kyuden Kakita, but a correction. For example, the Kanto Festival, which is described as being on "the hottest part of the summer," is said to be on the second day of the Rooster. But only a page before, the same book says that the Rooster is the first month of Autumn. Not to mention that it lists the three months of summer to take only two months of our calendar, and the four months of winter to take five.
A major problem in straightening out the confusion over these festivals is the description of New Year as being "on the first day of the month of spring," instead of the modern Japanese date of January 1st, or the traditional Chinese date of January 22nd. This moves the New Year celebration, as well as the first month of the calendar, all the way back to March 20th (the first day of spring). In addition to the obvious confusion, certain festivals simply no longer make sense, such as the Third Month Festival, which heralds the coming of spring, would now be held during the 12th month.
The only way I can see to correct these things is to move the New Year back to a more traditional date. The traditional date for Japanese New Year changed each year because they used a lunar calendar (much like Rokugan), but it was based on the changing of seasons. So, trying to push things back to a more traditional date, keeping the concept of a seasonal change, and ignoring the differences in lunar and solar years, I am saying that the Rokugani New Year is December 22, the Winter Solstice.
Month of the Hare
O-Shogatsu (Big New Year) 1st of the Hare
Note: The week-long New Year Festival also includes Toshi no Ichi, the Year-End Fair.
The Rokugani New Year festival is a festival of beginnings. It is a week-long festival that is a celebration of putting the old year behing and embracing the new. One of the most important pieces of this celebration is the ringing of the joya no kane, or end-of year bell, in the local Shintao temples. The 108 tolls of the bell represent the 108 worldly concerns of the previous year, and the ringing is the process of leaving them behind for the new year. The last toll of the bell is at midnight, so that it coincides with the beginning of the new year. The celebrations for the rest of the week include the day on which all Rokugani celebrate their "birthday," as well as any family celebrations.
Chronicler's Notes: Notes for the placing of the New Year are above. New Year is one of the five traditional Japanese festivals, on the first day of the first month.
Festival of the Moon's Wrath 7th of the Hare
Just after the New Year, while the ground is laden with snow, Rokugan celebrates the Moon in one day and two nights of complete silence. At sunset on the 7th day, the people of Rokugan cease talking, and do not say another word until sunrise on the 9th day. This is done to appease the Moon and attempt to avoid his wrath for the coming year. Anyone who speaks during this time is believed to draw the attention of Lord Moon.
Chronicler's Notes: This is presented ad a winter festival, but is placed in the beginning of autumn. Moving this to the month of the Hare not only makes this festival actually fall in winter, but also gives it the added emphasis of being an attempt to appease the Moon for another year.
Month of the Dragon
Month of the Serpent
Hina Matsuri (Doll Festival) 3rd of the Serpent
Other Names: Sangatsu Sekku (3rd Month Festival), Momo Sekku (Peach Festival), Joshi no Sekku (Girls' Festival)
The Doll Festival is a celebration of the girls of Rokugan. The name of the festival comes from the tradition of samurai girls, trained by the courtiers and handmaidens of their families, to arrange their hina ningyo (a set of dolls representing the Emperor, Empress, and their court) on a tiered stand in their homes. The girls visit the homes of their friends on this day, admiring each other's hina ningyo.
Chronicler's Notes: The Doll Festival is one of the five traditional Japanese festivals. It is traditionally held on the third day of the third month, and here it stays.
Month of the Horse
Sakura no Sekku (Cherry Blossom Festival) 23rd of the Horse
Other Names: Flower Festival (Hana Matsuri)
In Rokugan, everything has its own spirit, as well as its own beauty. Traditional artwork is focused on the quest to capture a thing of perfection - the perfect mountain, the perfect lake, or the perfect cherry tree. The Cherry Blossom Festival is a celebration of this beauty, when the Rokugani gather together for the Hanami, or flower viewing. On this day (and in many places for several days during this season), courts and feasts are held outside, under a canopy of blooming cherry trees.
Chronicler's Notes: This festival was originally said to take place on the 23rd of the Dragon. In Japan, the Cherry Blossom Festivals take place primarily throughout April, but sometimes as early as March, depending on when the trees actually bloom. The 23rd of the Dragon is early-mid February, when Rokugan would still be under a layer of snow. Early-mid April is a much better date, so the festival has been moved.
Month of the Goat
Sobu no Sekku (Iris Festival) 5th of the Goat
Other Names: Tango no Sekku (Tango Festival)
The fifth day of the fifth month is the Iris Festival. The tall-stemmed iris is a flower resembling the blade of the katana, which has led to the custom of placing iris leaves in a boy's bath to give him a martial spirit. Because of this, the Iris Festival is a festival for boys, corresponding to the girls' Doll Festival. It is customary on this day for families with male children to fly koinobori - carp streamers, a symbol of success - outside the home and display musha ninguo - warrior dolls - inside. Since irises are also believed to repel evil spirits, the Rokugani hang bunches of iris from the eaves of the roof in order to repel disease.
Chronicler's Notes: The Iris Festival is one of the five traditional Japanese festivals. It is traditionally held on the fifth day of the fifth month, and here it stays.
Kenkyo Kame no Sekku (Festival of the Humble Turtle) 6th of the Goat - Kenson Gakka
The Humble Turtle is an annual festival celebrated in the Lion city of Kenson Gakka. The festival celebrates the capture of the city from the Scorpion in the early sixth century.
Chronicler's Notes: This festival was originally listed in "The Silence Within Sound" (the adventure from the second version of the Gamemaster's Pack) as being on the 20th of the Monkey, which is mid-June. Secrets of the Lion, however, places the festival in the spring, "just after the planting season." This is most likely a time in April or May, so I have placed it in late April for simplicity.
Month of the Monkey
Month of the Rooster
Tanabata Festival 7th of the Rooster
Other Names: Festival of the River of Stars, Star Festival
This festival is based on a Phoenix folktale concerning a weaving maiden and a cowherd that were madly in love, but unable to be together. They were taen by the fortunes and placedin the sky, separated by the River of Stars. One day a year, if the River does not flood, they can cross and meet, but to make sure no dishonor is brought to their families, the people of Rukugan come out on this day to chaperone the meeting of the two lovers. The Rokugani often write wishes and romantic aspirations on long, narrow strips of colored paper and hang them on bamboo branches for this festival.
Chronicler's Notes: The Star Festival is one of the five traditional Japanese festivals. It is traditionally held on the seventh day of the seventh month, and here it stays.
Urabon (Bon Festival) 25th of the Rooster
Another long festival, the Bon Festival occupies the last four days of the Month of the Rooster. This is a celebration of Rokugan's honored dead. The parades for these four days are incredibly fantastic, with representation of the kami, the Dragons, and many ghosts, as well as music, dance, and even fireworks. The last night of the festival is the Toro Nagashi - Lantern Floating. Paper lantern boats are made and inscribed with the names of those who died in the previous year, as well as mesages for their spirits. The lanterns are set afloat on a nearby river or the sea, to light the spirits' way across the River of Stars and into Yomi.
Chronicler's Notes: The Japanese date for the Bon festival is mid-July, so the late-August date of the 28th of the Dog will not work. A day in the Month of the Rooster is more appropriate.
Month of the Dog
Kanto Festival 12th of the Dog
The Kanto Festival is another festival from very early in Rokugan's ancient history. The purpose of the festival is to drive sleepiness away during the hot summer months. The Rokugani raise kanto - large bamboo poles with rows of a dozen or more lit paper lanterns - and parade through the streets, drawing the sleepiness out of the people.
Chronicler's Notes: My arguments against the date for the Kanto Festival are above. After pushing the New Year back, it almost fit into the Month of the Rooster, but not quite. The Dog simply seemed a better choice for the late-July, early-August Japanese dating.
Month of the Boar
Choyo no Sekku (Chrysanthemum Festival) 9th of the Boar
The Chrysanthemum is the symbol of the Rokugani royal family, their ties to Amaterasu, and all of the Kami who fell from the heavens. It is a week-long celebration of the Emperor, as well as the founders of the Great Clans. For three days before and three after, all work in Rokugan stops. Even peasants are not allowed to pick up a tool. only on the day of the Festival itself can anyone take up their work, and then only in celebration of the Kami.
Chronicler's Notes: The Chrysanthemum Festival is one of the five traditional Japanese festivals. It is traditionally held on the ninth day of the ninth month, and here it stays.
Month of the Rat
Setsuban Festival 24th of the Rat
The Setsuban Festival is a celebration of autumn and the beauty of Rokugan. It is a celebration of the changing of the leaves from green to their fiery fall colors. it is also a celebration of peace, as the often-troubled spring and summer motnhs begin to give way to the snowy and peaceful winter. No man may hed blood on this day, all executions are put off, and the occassional prisoner is granted a pardon.
Chronicler's Notes: The "Setsuban Festival" seems to be unique to Rokugan. It is no doubt influenced by the Japanese Setsubun Festival, which marks the end of Spring. Keeping with the Setsuban Festival being an autumn festival, most of the Japanese autumn festivals are mid-late October, so the end of the Rat seemed appropriate.
Month of the Ox
Shichi Go San Matsuri (7-5-3 Festival) 22nd of the Ox
This festival celebrates the children of the Empire. Five-year-old boys and three- and seven-year-old girls are dressed in their finest and taken by their families to their local shrine. Because these numbers are conisdered unlucky, the children are prayed for by the priests and their families so that their ancestors and the kami will watch over them for the year to come and bring them good luck instead of bad. Most shrines also sell chitose-ame, or thousand-year candy, at this time, so that the ancestors of the last thousand years will be included in the festival.
Chronicler's Notes: This festival was originally said to take place on the 13th of the Dragon. In Japan, the festival takes place on the 15th of November, which, using 28-day months, is the 22nd of the Ox.
Month of the Tiger
Shouting Day 4th of the Tiger
Shouting Day is a peasant holiday in which the peasants of a village will all come together and shout their plights to Osano-Wo. Shouts are generally complaints about the harvest, disobedient children, and disrespectful wives. Samurai do not participate in Shouting Day, as it is well below their station.
Chronicler's Notes: Shouting Day does not seem to have any ties to a season, nor does it seem to be a traditional Oriental holiday. Since it appears to be made up for Rokugan, I left the date as it was.
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