The Bon Festival

Saturday I went to the Bon festival at the Morikami Museum. It was a lot of fun and I had a good time. I guess I should explain. The Morikami is a museum and Japanese garden dedicated to the early Japanese settlers that came to south Florida in 18 something or other. I admit, I don’t really know the history, but apparently, there was a really large group in what is now Boca Raton. They have really beautiful gardens, a room to do the tea ceremony, lots of family oriented activities, and even a restaurant that serves Japanese Curry. (Only really traditional places serve curry.) If I still live here when I have children, I will defiantly sign them up for the classes they teach on origami, traditional dances, and the language among other things. I could do the origami, but my Japanese is REALLY rusty. I’ve forgotten most of it except for words and phrases. So, the Morikami has festivals all the time. The Bon festival is supposed to be a 3 day thing to honor your ancestors. I remember going to the festival as a child in Japan. There is even a picture of my sister, our cousin, and myself all dressed in our Kimonos looking like we were half sleep. It’s really cute because that was still at the point where our mama didn’t know what to do with our hair, so it’s just everywhere. I know all of ya’ll have seen mixed kids with non-black mamas who’s heads look tore up. Well, that’s what we were, just in kimonos. And no, I didn’t wear a kimono this time.