The word, "Christening" doesn't exactly fit the event that I'm going to write about from now on, but I couldn't find a suitable word for it and chose it as the topic of this entry.
The first-ever visit to the shrine is called miyamairi. If the baby is a boy, miyamairi is commonly done on the 31st day after birth, and a girl formally on the 32nd day. However, the day of miyamairi is actually scheduled depending on the weather, the status of the baby and the schedules of the parents.
At the Ikutajinja shrine, the miyamairi ceremony was being held. I recalled each miyamairi of my daughter just like yesterday. At my daughter's miyamairi, I got up early and changed underwear into brand-new ones and dressed in a new shirt for the ceremony. The Shinto priests prayed for my daughters' healthy growth and happiness. Judging from their later life, the priests' spiritual power might have been strong enough to keep evil spirits away from them..
Comments