Google's Confucius' birthday logo, September 28th, 2009
From the real world to the internet realm, Confucius’ traditional 2,560 birthday is celebrated in Japan.
Nagasaki’s Confucius birthday memorial
On September 26th, a yearly ceremony honoring Confucius was held in Nagasaki at the Confucius Shrine Koushi-byo. According to the Japanese newspaper The Mainichi, during the ceremony approximately 50 people dressed in ancient Chinese court robes entered carrying various objects, such as statues of a pig, cow, and sheep. Confucius’ spirit was called down to earth with an offering of incenses and alcohol, and consoled. The spirit was then sent back into the heavens within smoke from burning silk.
After the ritual was finished, traditional Chinese Lion and Dragon dances were preformed in front of the ceremony’s audience of about 300. One on-looker told reporters that it was “a wonderful performance,” another exclaimed, “the lively atmosphere was great.”
The Confucius Shrine Koushi-byo, which was first built in Nagasaki in 1893, reportedly holds the celebration for Confucius' on the last Saturday in September every year.
Google celebrates Confucius' birthday
Google Japan chose to remember Confucius’ 2,560 birthday with a special homepage logo. The logo, which actually has appeared on Google’s local homepage in number of countries around the world, depicts a characteristic image of Confucius in place of Google’s “l”. An ancient proverb associated with Confucius is written in Chinese underneath the logo. The proverb apparently can be translated as “Is it not a pleasure to have friends visiting from afar?”
In Japan, the logo links to a search for “the birthday of ‘Koushi’” - which is the Japanese name for Confucius. Confucius’ birthday is commonly dated as September 28th in the Western calendar. The Journal Nagasaki says his birthday dates as the 28th day of the 8th month of the year on the old lunar calendar.
Confucius philosophy has strongly influenced Japanese culture since Chinese-thought was imported during the 6th and 7th century.
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Read more news from Japan by the Japan Headlines Examiner
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