First celebrated at the Palo Alto Buddhist Temple in 1948, the Obon Odori festival is a Japanese and Buddhist tradition honoring and celebrating ancestors. Palo Alto's modern incarnation intends to attract Buddhists and non-Buddhists alike to mark these traditions. The Palo Alto Buddhist Temple Bazaar and Obon Odori offers plenty to please all festival-goers, including music, dance performances, food and cultural exhibitions on the temple grounds.
The Temple and Obon Odori
- Early immigrants to the Bay Area founded the Palo Alto Buddhist Temple. Early services were held in temple-goers' homes, with the current temple being built and a permanent minister retained in 1954. Once a common holiday in Japan, Obon Odori has become less popular in its country of origin as it becomes more often celebrated in places where Buddhist populations are small. Palo Alto's celebration highlights Japanese culture and traditions of all types, while trying to modernize the festival with popular music and the like.
Performances and Demonstrations
- Traditional music, dance and performances are an important part of Obon Odori. At the temple's celebration, musical performances include minyo, or Japanese folk music; taiko drumming; and duets between the shakuhachi, a Japanese flute, and koto, which is a Japanese harp. The festival's namesake folk dancing, Bon Odori, or Buddhist folk dancing, is performed, with interested parties perfecting the dance over several practice days before the festival. Festival demonstrations include a judo and karate presentation, and a kendo, or fencing, show.
Activities
- Each festival day's opening musical performance is followed by a service led by the temple's minister, who encourages listeners to express gratitude to ancestors who have passed on. Festival-goers can walk through cultural displays, including paintings; ikebana, or flower arrangements; and suiseki, or stone arrangements. Attendees also can purchase food and drink, books, arts and crafts, and baked goods. For children, the festival offers storytelling and carnival games.
Details
- The Palo Alto Buddhist Temple, which teaches the practices of "dharma," or the idea of living life with meaning and gratitude, welcomes all to observe and participate in its services and programs.The Palo Alto Obon Odori festival is held each year on a Saturday and Sunday in late July or early August. Festival activities last from mid-evening to late evening on Saturday, and from mid-afternoon to late evening on Sunday.
