Ritual Snacks and Sweeties

Today Valerie and Arthur visited three different Jizo-Bon Festivals in our neighbourhood. Jizo-Bon is something like Halloween, a time when the ghosts of our ancestors walk amongst us. Neighbours work together to put up lanterns around jizo, which are stone statues that guard children. At various times during the day, those parents distribute sweets to the local children who come to pray. Valerie and Arthur did a lot of praying.