Company Day - Shanichi

It refers to the day of the month of the year Tsuchinoe, which is close to the spring and autumn equinoxes. In China, a shrine is a place where the god of the land is enshrined, and it is said that there is an earthen platform and a forest. In Japan, many places use this day as a festival day for the Jigami-ko (local association of earth gods), and it is said to be a day to enshrine the god of the earth or the god of agriculture. On this day, it is forbidden to disturb the land, farm work is suspended, and members gather to hold a festival, hanging scrolls and other items. The god of the earth is also called the god of farmers, and it is said that he descends on the spring shrine day and returns to heaven on the autumn shrine day. In some areas, blacksmiths come on this day to take orders for hoes and sickles. In Chiisagata County, Shinshu (Nagano Prefecture), the god of the fields is called Osaya-hisama. On the spring and autumn shrine days, people celebrate by pounding rice cakes. In Kaho District, Fukuoka Prefecture, on the day of the shrine, people bring sand from the beach and sprinkle it inside and outside the house to purify it, a custom known as shioi. In Yamanashi Prefecture, there is a custom known as shajichi moude, where people visit various shrines on the day of the shrine in spring, praying that if they pass through seven stone torii gates, they will avoid ceremonial strokes. In the former Naka District area of ​​Kyoto Prefecture (present-day Kyotango City), there is a custom known as shajichi moude, where people visit shrines and temples in the east at dawn, then move to the west, praying at sunset, and so on.

[Oto Tokihiko]

Source: Shogakukan Encyclopedia Nipponica About Encyclopedia Nipponica Information | Legend

春分、秋分に近い戊(つちのえ)の日をいう。中国では、「社」は土地神を祀(まつ)ったもので、土壇が築かれ、林叢(りんそう)があるという。わが国では地神(じがみ)講の祭日としている所が多く、地神または農神(のうがみ)を祀るものとされる。この日は地をいじることを禁じ農作業を休み、掛軸などを掛けて講員が集まって祭りをする。地神は百姓の神ともいい、春の社日にお降(くだ)りになり、秋の社日に天に帰られるという。この日鍛冶屋(かじや)が鍬(くわ)や鎌(かま)の注文とりにくるという土地もある。信州（長野県）の小県(ちいさがた)郡では、田の神のことをお社日様という。春秋の社日には餅(もち)を搗(つ)いて祝う。福岡県嘉穂(かほ)郡では、社日にシオイといって海岸から砂を持ってきて家の内外にまいて清めをする。山梨県では社日詣(もう)でといい、春の社日に石の鳥居を七つくぐると中風にならないといって、ほうぼうの神社を拝み回る風習がある。京都府の旧中郡地域（現在の京丹後市）では社日参りといって、明け方に東の方の社寺に参り、それから順に西の方へと行き、最後に日の入りを拝むという。

［大藤時彦］

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