DECK THE HOLIDAY'S

    Obon  or just  Bon  is a  Japanese   Buddhist  custom to honor the departed (deceased)  spirits  of one's  ancestors . This Buddhist custom has evolved into a  family reunion  holiday during which people return to ancestral family places and visit and clean their ancestors' graves, and when the spirits of ancestors are supposed to revisit the household altars. It has been celebrated in Japan for more than 500 years and traditionally includes a dance, known as Bon-Odori.     The festival of Obon lasts for three days; however its starting date varies within different regions of Japan. When the lunar calendar was changed to the  Gregorian calendar  at the beginning of the  Meiji era , the localities in Japan reacted differently and this resulted in three different times of Obon. "Shichigatsu Bon" (Bon in July) is based on the solar calendar and is celebrated around 15 July in e...