Living spirit - Ikimitama

…There are no records of gift-giving on this day in documents from the early modern period, and the origins of this custom are related to the ancient customs of gift-giving such as Bon-rei, Hassaku-rei, and summer greetings. Bon is not limited to offering prayers for ancestors, but children used to give fish to their living parents, calling them living spirits. This led to the exchange of offerings between relatives, and then, as social relationships expanded with the development of modern cities, the scope of gifts expanded, becoming gifts of thanks to those who have taken care of us on a daily basis, similar to the year-end gifts we see today. As a result, the original meaning of Bon-rei was lost, and the name Chugen was applied to it. However, even today, in areas other than Tokyo, where the old Bon is observed, such as Kansai, Chugen is often given in August to coincide with Bon. …

*Some of the terminology explanations that refer to "living spirits" are listed below.

Source | Heibonsha World Encyclopedia 2nd Edition | Information

…近世までの文献にはこの日とくに贈答を行った記事はみられず，この贈答の成立には古くからあった盆礼，八朔（はつさく）礼，暑中見舞などの贈答習俗がかかわっている。とくに盆は祖霊の供養にとどまらず，生御霊（いきみたま）と称し存命の父母に子どもらが魚を贈る習慣があったが，これが親族間の供物のやりとりに，さらには近代の都市の発達による交際関係の拡大に伴い贈答の範囲も広がって，今日みるような歳暮（せいぼ）同様のふだん世話になる者への礼としての贈物となった。そのため盆礼本来の意味を失ったことから中元の称を当てるにいたったものと思われるが，今でも関西はじめ旧盆を行う東京以外の地域では，中元も盆に合わせ8月に贈るところが多い。…

※「生御霊」について言及している用語解説の一部を掲載しています。

出典｜株式会社平凡社世界大百科事典 第２版について | 情報