Water caressing - Omizu-nade

Japanese: お水撫で - おみずなで

…In Okinawa, a pig is killed at the end of the year, and New Year's Day is celebrated with pigs instead of mochi. On the island of Okinawa, young water is drawn on New Year's Day, offered to the Shinto altar, Buddhist altar, and hearth, and the family performs the "Omizu-nasade" ceremony with the water. Young water is also called sudi-mizu, and means water that renews life. …

From [Wakamizu]

…In the Heian period, the Imperial Court held an event to celebrate the beginning of spring, during which water drawn from a well in the Eho direction was offered to the Emperor at breakfast. In the past, in the Shuri Kingdom of the Ryukyus, the King would perform the "Omizu-nade" (Ubinadi) ceremony on New Year's morning using water drawn from a village at the northern tip of Okinawa Island. The "Omizu-nade" ceremony involved placing the sacred water on the forehead three times with the middle finger, and it was said that bathing in the water would have the effect of rejuvenating one's youth. …

*Some of the terminology that refers to "Omizunade" is listed below.

Source | Heibonsha World Encyclopedia 2nd Edition | Information

Japanese:

…沖縄では年末に豚をころし，正月は餅をつかずに豚で祝った。沖縄島では元旦に若水をくみ，神棚，仏壇，かまどに若水をあげ，家族はその水で〈お水撫で〉をする。若水はスディミズともいわれ，生命を新しくする水という意味がある。…

【若水】より

…平安時代，朝廷では若水は立春の日の行事で，恵方（えほう）の井戸からくんだ水を，朝食のとき天皇に供えた。かつて琉球の首里王府では，沖縄島北端の村からくんできた水で，元日の朝，王が〈お水撫で(ウビーナディ)〉をした。〈お水撫で〉は，神聖な水を中指で額に3回つける作法で，若返りの水を浴びた効果があるといわれた。…

※「お水撫で」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

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