Orchid¹ Basin Festival

日本: 摆放火盆迎祖灵

 

Falling on July 15th according to the lunar calendar, Orchid Basin Festival is one of the big events in Japan all people observe. Japan usually gives people 3 days off to go back to their hometowns to pay respect to their ancestors. It is said that the ancestors' spirits will return home, and so each household put fire basins outside at the gate and hang lanterns for the spirits to find their way back.

盂兰盆节是日本最盛大的节日之一，每年农历7月15日举行。日本全国放假3天，让城里人返乡祭祖。据说在这段时间，逝去的祖灵都会回到家中，为防止祖灵找不到家，人们会在家门口摆放欢迎的火盆，并在屋内挂上灯笼。

 

Diwali-Festival of Lights

印度: 点燃蜡烛纪念故人

 

Diwali or Deepavali, the festival of "rows of lights", is one of the most important of all Hindu festivals. People place candles on the stairs, hallway and balcony at home when night falls that day to pay respect to the deceased and pray for the family. Lighting² lamps and candles during the festival is also considered auspicious³ by bringing light, knowledge and eternal life from darkness, ignorance and death.

灯节为印度每年最大的节日。节日当天，夜幕降临后，人们会在楼梯、走廊、阳台及屋里都放上点燃的蜡烛，为死者祈祷，并期盼亡灵保佑家人平安。点灯还被视为带来光明、知识、永恒，驱走黑暗、无知和死亡。

 

All Soul's Day

墨西哥: 化妆骷髅大游行

 

All Soul's Day, also called the "Day of the Dead" usually occurs on November 2, when families fondly remember the deceased by praying before an altar. It's also a time marked by festivities, including parades of skeletons. In one notable tradition, revelers lead a mock funeral procession with a live person inside a coffin⁴.

万灵节是墨西哥的传统节日之一，又称扫墓节，定在每年11月2日。人们在家里摆祭坛，供上祭品，悼念死去的亲人。气氛浓厚的节日传统还包括化妆骷髅的盛大游行，以及把活人放进棺材里的"假面葬礼"。

 

Day of the dead

波兰: 点蜡烛给亡灵指路

 

Poland and most of the Catholic world have celebrated⁵ the festival on Nov 1 for many centuries. Also known as All Saints Day, it's a national holiday when people all over Poland visit the graves of loved ones and to place candles and flowers at tombstones. The candles, which can burn for hours, are placed to help the departed souls find the way home.

每年11月1日，波兰及绝大多数信奉天主教的国家都要举行亡人节，也称万灵节，以悼念逝人。这天是法定假日，人们都去扫墓，摆上鲜花并点上可燃烧几小时的蜡烛，给亡灵指引回家的路。

 

Memorial Day in US

美国: 鸣枪悼念阵亡烈士

 

Memorial Day is a US national holiday observed on the last Monday of May. It commemorates⁷ those who died while in military service to their country. Soldiers in service and veterans go to cemeteries⁸ to pay respect to their dead peers by firing guns and blowing trumpets⁹. First enacted¹⁰ to honor American soldiers and casualties in the civil war, the two World Wars and other military actions, it later evolved as a popular civil festival for each family to commemorate⁶ the passing of their loved ones.

美国的阵亡烈士日通常在每年5月的最后一个周一，是法定假日。每逢这个日子，美国现役军人和老战士便前往墓地，鸣枪并吹响军中熄灯号，让死难将士安息。此节日最初用来纪念在南北战争和两次世界大战中战死的兵士，后来逐渐发展为一般家庭祭奠逝去的亲人。

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