Japan`s Golden Week

We`re coming up on Japan`s Golden Week. Golden Week gets it`s name from Golden Time, or what we call in the USA (Prime Time) like on radio or TV. Golden Time or Prime Time is the time when the most people listen to the radio or watch the TV, right? Well, Golden Week is when the most people travel and /or play in Japan. The week has three National Holidays, so depending on the day of the week that they fall on, a trip out of country is even possible. This without having to delve into your annual leave time. Nice, huh?
The three holidays are 1~ May 3 Constitution Memorial Day, 2~ May 4 Greenery Day, and 3~ May 5 Children`s Day, or Boy`s Day to distinguish it from Girl`s Day , which is on March 3. Just before Golden Week, on  April 29 is Showa Day, which is the Birthday of the deceased Showa Emperor Hirohito.Although Showa Day is not part of Golden Week, it is considered by some to be included.
Constitution Day and Greenery Day aren`t special, but Children`s Day has it`s celebration. Usually, starting  a few weeks before Children`s Day, families rig up the Koinobori in the yard. Koinobori is a set of windsocks made to look like carp, Koi. They"fly" these koi on poles in the yard. They are very large and "fly" beautifully in the wind. Much smaller ones are also made for people who live in apartments to "fly" on their verandas.
Why carp(Koi)? They are very hardy fish and they represent courage and perseverance,  characteristics parents want for their boys to have.
I`m sure many of you have seen these windsocks. In The USA I`ve seen them used a wall hangings. I also once saw one rigged up as a shower curtain, which was pretty awesome! I`ve included some pictures in the hope that you can get an idea of how they are used. They are really beautiful "flying" in the wind!

Have a nice day!