The annual Obon Festival unfolded at the Watsonville Buddhist Temple Sunday with hundreds of people delving into Japanese culture.
The free event included entertainment, a vendor’s market, children’s games, an array of traditional foods, a Farmers Market, arts and crafts and a raffle. After a performance by Watsonville Taiko drummers, the festival culminated with a string of 10 dances known as Bon-Odori, which participants practice for days in advance.
The dance is based on the story of Moggallāna, who asked the Buddha to release his deceased mother from the Realm of Hungry Ghosts, where greedy people go when they die.
The Buddha did, and Moggallāna danced with happiness, which marked the beginning of the Obon celebration.
For Buddhists, the Obon Festival is a time to honor deceased ancestors by inviting them back into their homes. Many consider it a time to honor past generations and their contributions to the living, organizers said.
Celebrated in Japan for hundreds of years, the festival is sometimes called the Festival of Lanterns.
Through time, the festival has evolved into a family reunion of sorts. Participants clean and decorate their homes, and prepare gifts of fruit and vegetables for their eventual visitors. They might also clean the graves of their ancestors.
