Every culture has its own way of celebrating the life of a departed loved one and honoring his or her spirit. In some regions, people remember through colorful celebration. Other events take on a more somber tone. Some cultures mourn the departed, while others celebrate the life they led.
Every year, Santa Marians are treated to a colorful Japanese Buddhist custom that’s part celebration and part recognition of departed loved ones.
The Obon festival honors ancestral spirits—and shares a lot of similarities with the Mexican Dia de los Muertos. In Santa Maria, the Guadalupe Buddhist Church presents the festival as a time for friends and family and the public to gather in celebration.
Central to the festival is a dance called the Bon-Odori. Performances might vary from region to region in Japan, but typically it’s performed in a circle with fans or small towels called tenugui or castanets called kachi-kachi. Participants dress in colorful yukata—a summer version of the kimono—or Hapi coats.
The local Bon-Odori dance is open to the public. Practice for the July event is starting now.
Alice Utsunomiya, the festival’s president, said anyone can join the dance.
“It’s open to the public, there’s no age limit,” she said. “It’s free.”
Utsunomiya said participants don’t have to own the accessories, because there are plenty for lending. The rehearsal classes have two teachers: Kathy Shimizo and Joyce Cole, who study the dances that come from headquarters in Los Angeles, since the dances change from year to year.
“They usually try to have some new dances, as well as pick up some of the old favorites from years before,” Utsunomiya said.
The festival also offers food like teriyaki chicken, beef sticks, udon, and wonton. Taiko drummer demonstrations will round out the celebration.
Utsunomiya said she hopes to gain more participants this year, as there’s been a recent drop in the number of dancers—though each year’s participation varies.
“A lot of church members’ kids go off to college in the big city, and then they don’t come back, and they don’t participate in the dance,” Utsunomiya said.
This year, the church hopes to change that with some earlier promotional efforts for the festival and the dance. Even if you have two left feet, don’t worry. The Bon-Odori is a dance that’s easy to learn—and it’s fun for all, Utsunomiya said.
And no matter how large the turnout, it’s always a much anticipated event.
“Everybody loves it,” she said. “They look forward to it.”
Arts Editor Shelly Cone loves summer celebrations. Contact her at scone@santamariasun.com.
This article appears in Jun 16-23, 2011.