As a Military Family it has been fun to add traditions from different parts of America and around the world to our own family traditions. One of our favorites that we picked up during one of our Duyy Stations, AKA, Family Adventures on the Marine Corps Dime was in Okinawa. Kodomo-no-Hi. This holiday is celebrated each year on the 5th day of the 5th month. In English it is called Children's Day. The Japanese have several holidays that revolve around children as the people of Okinawa just love their kids! During this time you will see carp streamers flying everywhere! A typical koinobori (streamer) will have a multicolored streamer called a fukinagashi on the top. This is to represent the rough waters of the Yellow River. Next will be a large black carp called a magoi which represents the Father followed by a red carp, higoi, which is for the Mother, next will be smaller carp of other colors for each child in the family. We miss seeing all the carp streamers flying this time of year but we went ahead and attached ours to Old Glory and celebrated by swinging by a new Asian store in town that carries all the kids favorite snacks from "back home" as they say! It was a peffect Kodomo-no-Hi day, watching the boys play baseball and eating our favorite Okinawan snacks.
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