1. せいじん　の　ひ
By Alana and Ella

2. Seijin No Hi
Seijin no hi (coming of age festival) is celebrated every year on the second Monday of January.

3. Why is it Celebrated?
It is celebrated because it marks the point in life where they become an adult and they can they start to drink, smoke, vote and have the responsibilities of an adult. The local governments hold these ceremonies for the Japanese people who are 20 years old to mark the big turning point in their lives.

4. History of the Festival
The ceremonies have been held in Japan for centuries and it wasn’t until 1876 that the government changed the adulthood age to 20. The age for boys used to be 15 and they used to cut of their fore locks and the girls age used to be 13 and they had their teeth dyed black.

5. How is it Celebrated?
Most 20 year olds attend the ceremonies which usually consist of speeches etc. However in recent years the generation gap has been creating some disturbances in these ceremonies such as talking on cell phones to letting off fireworks during the speeches of mayors, or guest speakers. Some of the local governments have responded to this and have shortened some of the speeches and made them more fun for example entertainment, bingo games and Karaoke. A city in Chiba have moved the ceremonies to Disney Land.

6. Interesting Info
The men usually where suits and the women usually wear a furisode which is special type of kimono. It has extended sleeves and bold designs. In 2012, the number of people who attended the ceremonies have been declined, with the total of 1.22 million attendants this year, in 1976 there was 2.76 million people attended the ceremonies.

7. Bibliography en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Coming_of_Age_Day