The Synergy Project Magazine - October 2020

OBON
FESTIVAL
By: Britney Vildor
The Obon festival (also known
as the Bon festival) is a holiday
that occurs in Japan to celebrate
the dead. Obon is a festival that is
celebrated in different regions but
in Japan; it’s a big part of Japanese
cultures and considered to be one
of the major holidays in that region.
It’s a Buddhist tradition
that’s been going on for 500
years. It’s a three-day event that
usually happens between August
13-August 16. The festival is a time
to perform a series of rituals and
celebrations—both to honor the
dead, and liberate disquiet spirits,
like hungry ghosts, from their
suffering.
The festival origin is from
Buddhist mythology. The story
goes that Maha Maudgalyayana,
a disciple of the Buddha, used his
powers to look at his deceased
mother. He found out she was
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