[For Seniors] Informative and Fun Obon Quiz

Care Worker Initial Training Certification ObtainedNakajima Junko
Leveraging my experience working as a care worker at a day service, I am currently active as a writer in the caregiving and welfare fields. Beyond writing, I hope to expand my work into web design and illustration. I am a mother of three who has begun studying to become a certified social worker.

Obon is the time when we welcome our ancestors home and hold memorial services for them.

Carrying lanterns lit at the graves to greet our ancestors is a custom that has existed in Japan since long ago.

Many older adults may consider Obon a very important time.

However, due to conditions like dementia, some people find it difficult to sense the season or the passage of time and may not realize when Obon has arrived.

So this time, we’re introducing a quiz related to Obon.

Through the quiz, let’s look back on past Obon observances and help everyone feel the season.

In fact, older adults may sometimes know more about Obon than the staff giving the quiz.

Please make use of the quiz and enjoy a pleasant time together!

[For Seniors] Informative and Fun Obon Quiz (11–20)

What is the fire called that is burned when sending ancestors back on August 16?

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During Obon, there is a custom of burning ogara (hemp stalks).

On the first day, August 13, they are burned as a guide for the ancestors.

This is called mukaebi, or “welcoming fire.” Do you know what the fire burned on August 16, at the end of Obon, to send the ancestors back is called? The answer is okuribi, or “sending-off fire.” It may feel a little sad—after all, they’ve just come back—but let’s see them off properly.

The time for lighting the sending-off fire varies by region, but it is generally done in the evening.

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