Kigensetsu Festival - Kigensetsu Festival

...The Ritual Ceremonies Ordinance divides the imperial ceremonies into major and minor festivals, and stipulates that major festivals are to be performed by the Emperor himself, while minor festivals are to be conducted by the Grand Master of Ceremonies, after which the Emperor shall pay his respects.
[Grand Festival]
The major festivals are the Genshi Festival on January 3, the Kigensetsu Festival on February 11, the Spring Imperial Ancestors' Festival and the Imperial Shrine Festival on the Vernal Equinox, the Jinmu Emperor Festival on April 3, the Autumn Imperial Ancestors' Festival and the Imperial Shrine Festival on the Autumn Equinox, the Kanname Festival on October 17, the Niiname Festival on November 23-24, the Festival of the Former Emperor (annual anniversary of his death), the Shikinensai of the three generations before the former emperor (3, 5, 10, 20, 30, 40, 50, 100 years after his death, and every 100 years thereafter), the Shikinensai of the former and latter emperors, and the Shikinensai of the Empress Dowager. All of these except the Kanname Festival and the Niiname Festival were established after the Meiji period.

*Some of the terms used in reference to the "Kigensetsu Festival" are listed below.

Source | Heibonsha World Encyclopedia 2nd Edition | Information

…祭祀令は，皇室の祭祀を大祭と小祭に分け，大祭は天皇みずから祭典を行い，小祭は掌典長が祭典を執行し，天皇が拝礼するものと定めている。
［大祭］
　1月3日の元始（げんし）祭，2月11日の紀元節祭，春分の日の春季皇霊祭･同神殿祭，4月3日の神武天皇祭，秋分の日の秋季皇霊祭･同神殿祭，10月17日の神嘗（かんなめ）祭，11月23～24日の新嘗（にいなめ）祭，および先帝祭(毎年の命日)，先帝以前3代の式年祭(没後満3,5,10,20,30,40,50,100年，以後100年ごとの命日)，先后の式年祭，母后の式年祭が大祭である。このうち神嘗祭と新嘗祭以外は，みな明治以後に創制されたものである。…

※「紀元節祭」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