Hanabi

When the weather is hot, people go outside.  Japan is no different.  The weather has consistently been in the 80s, and humid.  Very humid.  And everyone wants to be outside.  People are picnicking, going to theme parks, and enjoying fireworks.  Hanabi - fireworks - are very popular in Japan.  It is considered part of summer to enjoy hanabi.

Typically, people enjoy hanabi as part of festivals and special displays.  Large Japanese hanabi viewings are a sight to be seen.  But today we opted for the home variety.

Sparklers are the most popular type of at home fireworks.  There are huge packets of sparklers for sale at grocery stores, convenience stores, and many other locations.  Fancier fireworks can be found at special stores, but they are hard to find and can attract unwanted attention if strict rules of use are not followed.  (I once set off fireworks with friends in a park and was told by a police officer that we needed to stop because we weren't setting them off at the correct time of year!)

While shopping at a clothing store, my husband saw a large package of sparklers.  He was so excited to see them, he bought a pack right away.  Doing hanabi on a hot evening bring back many happy childhood memories and he wants to share that experience with our son.

After nightfall, we went into our courtyard and got set up.  We filled a bucket with water, laid out the sparklers, and lit a candle.  We lit sparkler after sparkler, ohhing and ahhing with each new stick. 

It was such a nice, quiet way to wrap up the day.  The sparklers are gentle and look almost like lace.  The most traditional sparkler is a thin little string that is held at the top to let the sparkler dangle.  Once lit, it takes about 20 seconds to fully start it's magical show.  It lasts for less than a minute.  But it's beauty always takes my breath away.

Lighting hanabi is a fun summertime tradition.  As I put my son to bed tonight, he was full of smiles asking when we could do it again.