Childbirth is an important milestone in the Shinto religion. One month after a Japanese baby is born, he/she is taken to a Shinto shrine as a symbolic gesture of thanks to the deities. It is traditional for the grandmother or mother to carry the baby. Grandmother or mother, She ties the cord around the neck and the baby is usually dressed in special white clothing. There are also those dressed in a kimono. For 5 or more minutes a Shinto priest prayed for the welfare and happiness of the baby.
(7) Coming of age in Shinto is turning 20 years old, an important milestone where the person becomes and adult and takes on more responsibility. It is difficult to determine how Seijin no Hi came to be, some people say it was made when a young prince wore new robes to represent himself coming into adulthood, while others claim that it was already a nation wide celebration. In any case, Seijin no Hi asks for young adults to attend speeches at the city office, receive gifts from government officials and to accept their new place in society. Most females wear traditional furisode, or kimono with draping sleeves, young women usually rent or borrow this expensive piece of clothing and then put it on at a salon. Young men wear either a dark kimono or formal Western clothing.
(9) The fifth step Chikai-no-sakazuki (Exchange of Nuptial Cups)The bride and groom exchange three sips from each of the three cups of Sake(alcoholic beverage) that was placed before the kami. This is generally called “san-san-kudo" (literally, three, three, nine, referring to the three sips from three cups, total of nine sips). The sixth step that follows the Chikai-no-sakazuki is called Seishi-soujou(Vow), this is where the groom reads the marriage vows out loud in Japanese. Step seven is called Tamagushi-hairei(Tamagushi offerings) the bride and groom make offerings of tamagushi to the kami to promise their marriage. The eight step Yubiwa-no-gi (Exchange of Rings) is where the bride and groom exchange rings. The final step of the marriage is Shinzokuhai-no-gi (Drinking the Sake together) to make a strong bond between the couple’s relatives, everyone participates in the drinking of the sake.
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After the prayer, parents and grandparents go up to the altar and bow. They put tamagushis on the altar as well. A tamagushi is a jewel skewer and a traditional Shinto offering. It is made of a sakaki-tree branch decorated with pieces of paper, silk or cotton. The ritual ends with drinking sake from a wooden red cup. The family also gets gifts. The family photos are made in front of the temple. Understandably the whole ritual is not without cost. The fee for the ceremony per child is up to ¥ 10,000 ($ 111.88).
(7) Marriage is a small scale event which is a part of the Shinto milestones with 8 steps. The first step is called Sanshin(Procession) ritual musicians and a Shinto maiden lead the groom, bride and the rest of the guests to the Maiden or Wakamiya shrine. This is then followed by the Shubatsu-no-gi(purification), where the Shinto priest at the beginning of the ceremony purifies the bride, the groom and the rest of the congregation. The third step Norito-soujou(Formula) a Shinto priest reads out the formula to announce the marriage to Hachiman Okami (deities) and seek the blessing and protection for the couple from the Kami. This is followed by the fourth step Kaguramai (Dedication of Sacred Dance) a Shinto maiden performs a sacred dance for the couple.
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