by Myria in
Chit Chat
(
Down Syndrome).
So this is a blog about Down Syndrome. Well, not really. This is a blog about our lives, and Down syndrome happens to have a small part in that. I am going to raise Ayden as "typically" as possible, and I am not going to let his Ds diagnosis be a major definer in what his life becomes. I really just want to blog about our lives, and what we do on a daily basis, and not always feel like the topic is "Down syndrome" The topic for me is always "Ayden", my son, my wonderful baby who makes me laugh every day. I hope that you all want to share in our lives as much as I love reading about yours!
I am posting a picture from earlier this month. Feb 3rd in Japan is considered a holiday, it signifies the coming of the Shinto spring(which starts on Feb 4) So every spring Rissun (changing of the seasons) the Japanese celebrate with a party, inviting all their family members to their home, eating lots of food and spirits, and then capping off the evening with an old-fashioned mamemake throwing.
What is a mamemake throwing you ask? Well, in the Shinto religion it is very important to cleanse oneself and one's home of any "evil spirits" which may have inhabited it in the previous year. Soo.. introduce the mamemake, which is roasted soybeans. Typically, what happens is one of the family members dons a mask to represent an "oni" or ogre/evil spirit. Then the rest of the family proceeds to pelt said oni with the roasted soybeans while shouting "oni wa soto, fuku wa uchi!" trans- "evil spirits out, good fortune/happiness in" I guess the soybeans are supposed to signify new growth.
However, in the town that we celebrated in, they have a door-to-door traveling oni that makes the rounds. So everyone waits (im)patiently for the sound of the drums (its a huge procession) and then the ogres come to the door and everyone goes crazy, shouting and throwing these littlle hard beans ALL OVER the house. The ogres then try to scare the kids, and pick up the babies for photo ops.(hence the picture of Ayden) We had a great time, we went with our "adopted" Japanese family that lives next door. They are so wonderful, and really have become part of our family. So that is just a tiny slice of our crazy Japanese life...
