Just as we did with her older sister, we wanted to observe the Japanese first birthday tradition of erabitori at Mirei’s first birthday party. (We opted not to do the issho mochi tradition this time with Mirei, because it was a little heartbreaking when we observed it with Mio.) For those who aren’t familiar with erabitori, here’s a brief explanation.
ERABITORI (é¸ã³å–ã‚Š)
The literal translation for erabitori (é¸ã³å–ã‚Š) is “to pick and keep an item.” The following objects were set before Mirei. It is said that the first object that the baby selects will show her calling, or a tendency towards a specific career field.
WRITING BRUSH: Artist / Writer CALCULATOR: Merchant / Good with business BELL: Music / Performing Arts SCISSORS: Skillful hands / Fashion or Crafting STETHOSCOPE: Doctor or Nurse (Medicine) CHOPSTICKS: Chef / Culinary Arts, Never go hungry DICTIONARY: Scholar / Academic Excellence BALL: Athlete / Career in Sports
So what did Mirei choose? Watch the videos and see the photos below!
Explaining erabitori and the items
Mio kind of caused a scene with a potty emergency while I was explaining the items… ::sigh::
…back to the main attraction! Here is Mirei choosing her item(s).
Go Mirei, go!
Walking towards the items…
What will she choose?
Surveying her choices…
Touching the calculator at first…
…but then picking up the bell.
She was really into the bell!
A family picture after Mirei’s erabitori. Still holding that bell! 😛
It was fun to get a peek at Mirei’s possible future calling! Will she excel in business and/or mathematics? Or pursue a career in music and the performing arts? We’ll have to see! She might just be very busy, trying out various fields throughout her life!
Stay tuned for Part III, in which Mirei gets to enjoy her first birthday smashcake!
For Mio’s first birthday party, we wanted to incorporate a Japanese traditional element into the celebration, and decided to have her carry issho mochi, followed by erabitori. Here’s a little background information on these two customs…
ISSHO MOCHI (一å‡é¤…)
A common Japanese first birthday custom is to have the toddler carry piggyback a large mochi (rice cake) weighing 1 sho. The word for the volume unit issho (一å‡), roughly equivalent to 1.8 liters, is a homophone for issho (一生) meaning “a whole lifetime,†and the issho mochi (一å‡é¤…) symbolizes the parents’ hope that the child will never go hungry throughout her lifetime.
The discomfort brought on by the sudden yoking of the child to the rice cakes can also be said to signify an introduction to the future challenges which lay in store for the child as she grows older. It’s like saying, “this is what life is like, kiddo!â€
When the child falls down on her backside after having stood for a second or two, it is said that the child’s impurities are washed away. The heavy weight making it difficult for the child to stand has another significance as well — it is an expression of the parents’ desire that their child not grow up too fast.
ERABITORI (é¸ã³å–ã‚Š)
Another part of a Japanese first birthday tradition is an event known as erabitori (é¸ã³å–ã‚Š), the literal translation being “to pick and keep an item.” The following objects were set before Mio. It is said that the first object that the baby selects will show her calling, or a tendency towards a specific career field.
WRITING BRUSH: Artist / Writer CALCULATOR: Merchant / Good with calculation MONEY: Blessed with an abundance of wealth, property, and other material goods SCISSORS: Skillful hands / Fashion MEASURING RULER: Methodical / Own a big house CHOPSTICKS: Chef / Never go hungry DICTIONARY: Scholar / Academic Excellence BALL: Athlete / Outstanding motor reflexes
How did Mio fare with these birthday activities? You can see a play-by-play with the following photos further down, or just watch the video:
Mio in her Japanese hakama.
"Are you ready?"
Setting up the erabitori items.
Explaining what each item means.
Mio carrying the issho mochi on her back.
At first, she plunked down and refused to move forward.
Dan looks stressed... lol.
Will she make it?!
Mio starts walking with the issho mochi.
Go Mio, Go!
Making her way across the room.
Reaching Mama
Stumbling as she reaches her goal.
Untying the mochi from Mio's back.
What will she pick?
She picked the scissors!
The scissors mean she will be skilled with her hands, or have a career in fashion.
Not letting go of the scissors.
She's got a death grip on it.
Good job, Mio!
Scissors in her mouth...
We're so proud of you, Mio!
Mio successfully carried the issho mochi, and we got a peek at Mio’s destiny when she picked the scissors during erabitori. We’re excited about the possibility that she will be crafty, like both of her parents!
(Special thanks to Megumi for the video footage and some of the photos taken on her phone that we used in this post!)
We have yet to post about the finale activity of Mio’s birthday party, so keep an eye out for Part III! 🙂
