Children's Day or A Day to Celebrate my Warrior Daughter

Children's Day (Kodomo no hi) is celebrated on 5th May in Japan. It is a national holiday on which all children are celebrated and their mothers are honored. Truth is, around here EVERYDAY is Children's Day. I'm sure any of you mamas out there can attest that when you have kids then most of your days are centered around them and filled with lots of playing, laughing and celebrating. But if you want to join in for this special day, come make some origami koi kites (like we did last year) or origami samurai helmets, or snack on some mochi with us, because it's fun to make things a bit special, no?

Children's Day was originally designated as Boys' Day and most of the symbolism and activities associated with Children's Day hearken back to it's original male-focused roots. Most homes with boys display a samurai helmet during this time to honor and encourage the warrior spirit. While I would like to think I'm a pacifist, there is something about the warrior spirit that I want to cultivate in my daughter, so we embraced Bushido (the way of the warrior) by making these origami samurai helmets. And munching on mochi, of course!

Hope you have a wonderful Children's Day today - either with your own kids or by celebrating the child (and warrior!) within you!