March in Japan 1 - Graduation Ceremonies

March is also called "Yayoi" in the old calendar. "Yayoi" means to grow more and more, so it is a suitable name for the month when the plants and trees grow and children graduate from schools, isn’t it?

The school year in Japan starts in April and finishes in March, thus graduations and school closing ceremonies are held in this month. After graduation ceremonies, students and their parents set up "Shaonkai" parties to show their appreciation for their teachers.
In Japan, generally, students in public elementally schools in Japan wear street clothes, so girls wear simple dresses or suits, boys wear jackets and pants or suits for graduation ceremonies. At most of the junior high and high schools students wear uniforms, so they will attend their graduation ceremonies in their uniforms. For university graduation ceremonies, male students wear suits and ties and female students wear suits or simple dress and also still many wear Kimono, or Hakama for this special ceremonial occasion. Many mothers and fathers attend graduation ceremonies to celebrate their children’s graduations. After school closing and graduation ceremonies, there is spring break until the schools year starts the beginning of April.

Hakama
 : Hakamas are an outer garment worn over the kimonos that are either split between the legs like pants or non-split like a skirt. Hakama pants originated as an outer garment to protect samurai warriors’ legs from brush while riding a horse. Today, Hakamas are worn as formal attire for ceremonies, traditional Japanese dance, artists and martial arts. Contrary to belief, hakamas are worn by both men and women today.- Quoted from http://www.japanesekimono.com/japanese_pants.htm )

３月は旧暦で「弥生」とも呼ばれます。「やよい」とはますます成長するという意味で、草木が育ち卒業式や終業式のある月にふさわしい名前ですね。

日本の学校は４月に始まって３月に終わるので、卒業式、終業式がこの月に行われます。卒業式のあとに謝恩会が行われ、先生方に感謝の気持ちを表します。通常、日本の公立の小学校には私服で通学しますから、卒業式には女子はワンピースやスーツ、男子はジャケットとズボンやスーツなどを着用し、中学と高校では通常制服を着用しますから卒業式も制服で参加します。大学の卒業式には、男子生徒はスーツを着用し、女生徒はスーツやワンピース、また着物や袴姿もまだかなりみられます。多くの父母が卒業式に参加し、子供達の卒業を祝います。卒業式や終業式の後は４月の始めにある入学式や始業式まで春休みとなります。