Haleiwa Bon Dance

One of the many things I love so much about living in Hawaii is the opportunity to be exposed to cultural traditions I would otherwise never have the chance to experience first hand. The diverse cultures here in Hawaii seem to merge seamlessly while retaining their unique traditions. One such example is the Bon Dance I was fortunate enough to attend over the past weekend.

A Bon Dance is a historic Japanese Buddhist festival to honor one’s departed loved ones and ancestors. Over the 500 years that it has become tradition, it has evolved into a family reunion of sorts where family members show their ancestral appreciation through celebratory dance. On the last evening of the Bon Festival, a ceremonial lighting of lanterns is observed. The lanterns are then set to float on the sea to guide the ancestral spirits on their journey. This is called Toro Nagashi and is a beautiful sight to see! Here in Haleiwa, the Bon Dance is attended by all cultural groups and religions as it is a festive and beautiful way to honor those you love.

The Bon Dance that my husband and I attended, along with Jean (our Office Manager) and her lovely sister, brother-in-law, and niece, was amazing! It was held at the Haleiwa Jodo mission. I could almost liken it in similarity to the Dia de los Muertos festivals held in Latin American countries and Arizona where dance, food and celebration are centered around honoring ancestral spirits. I was brave enough to try and follow along with the dance itself and although I didn’t do too well no one held it against me. There were so many others there trying to learn too! It was also nice to stand back and see the experts. Their movements were so elegant and the music so enchanting! The musicians were so captivating and the drums almost hypnotic.

It was a great time, and I walked away feeling richer from the experience. Here in Hawaii, you don’t have to travel far from home to get a taste of the Eastern influence. The rich history of the Japanese culture in Hawaii has endowed our little North Shore town with a gift that I will always remember.

I am including a link to Jean’s You Tube video. There is some really great footage of the Bon Dance. We would like to offer our readers a 12% off their entire next order by using the coupon code: HappiCoat. This is good through July 31st. The Happi (pronounced like hoppy) coat is the ceremonial long coat worn by the dancers in the photos. Also, we would love to hear any stories you may have on the subject of Bon Dances here in Hawaii or Japan.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R5CkDb4J350