River bathing - Kawabitari

Japanese: 川浸り - かわびたり

Depending on the region, it is also called Kawawatari, Kabitari, Kawabairi, Kawatobi, etc. It is an annual event on December 1st, where rice cakes, dumplings, rice porridge, tofu, etc. are offered to the river to worship the water god, and it is an event that is held in opposition to the Suijin Festival in June. There is a belief that if you eat this rice cake (or dumplings, etc.), you will not be pulled by a kappa, you will avoid drowning, and you will not get cavities. In some regions, people go to the river early in the morning without being seen and put their buttocks in the water, or take their cows and horses to the river to wash them, so it is thought that this is a variation of misogi (purification ritual) held by waterside. In some regions, these rice cakes and dumplings are called shinan mochi (thoughtful rice cakes) or kubishime dango (strangled rice cakes), which originated from the fact that December is the time when servants are replaced, and servants would eat these rice cakes before leaving for their new jobs.

Source: Encyclopaedia Britannica Concise Encyclopedia About Encyclopaedia Britannica Concise Encyclopedia Information

Japanese:

地方によって，カワワタリ，カビタリ，カワバイリ，カワトビなどともいう。 12月1日，餅や団子，粥，豆腐などを川に供えて水神を祀る年中行事で，6月の水神祭と対置的な行事である。この餅 (あるいは団子など) を食べると河童に引かれないとか，水難を免れるとか，虫歯にならないなどという信仰がある。また，朝早く人に見られないように川に行って尻を水につけてくるとか，牛馬を川へ連れていって洗うとかいう地方もあるところから，水辺での禊 (みそぎ) が変形したものとも考えられる。この餅や団子を，思案餅，首絞め団子などと呼ぶ地方があるのは，12月が奉公人の出替りの時期で，奉公人がこれを食べて奉公先へ出たところから起ったもの。

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