例年よりも随分遅い梅雨が始まりました🐸☔

 
 
皆様のお住まいの地域のお天気はいかがでしょうか？
 
京都をはじめ、近畿地方は本日梅雨入りしたと発表がありましたが、
とてもいいお天気で、真夏のような暑さでした🌞
 
週末は大雨に警戒が必要とのことですので、
お出かけの際はお気を付けください。
 
そして本日は梅雨入りにくわえ、『夏至』でしたね！
 
夏至とは、昼の長さが一年で最も長く、夜が最も短い日だとされています。
明るい時間が長いと、観光もより楽しめますね😊✨
 
 
そんな夏至の時期に京都では必ず見かけるお菓子があることをご存じでしょうか？
和菓子屋さんはもちろん、スーパーやコンビニエンスストアでも並ぶほど人気者・・・
 
 
水無月(みなづき)です‼️
 
 
氷を表す三角の『ういろう』に、邪気を払う意味を込めた『小豆』をのせた和菓子で、
室町時代、宮中では氷で暑さを和らげていたそうですが、庶民にとって氷は大変貴重な品・・・
そんな氷に似せて、健康を祈願したとされています。
 
６月30日は、１年の半分。いわゆる折り返し地点🚩
 
お正月から半年間で溜まった穢れを落とし、年末までの残り半年の健康を祈る、
夏越の祓(なごしのはらい)という行事が各所で行われます。
 
茅の輪(ちのわ)と呼ばれる植物で編まれた輪をくぐり、厄除けを祈願するこの時期
京都にお越しの際には是非、厄除けと共に健康を祈り、美味しい水無月もご賞味くださいね✨
 
 

The rainy season has begun much later than usual this year. 🐸☔

 
 
How is the weather in your area?
 
It was announced today that the rainy season has started in the Kinki region, including Kyoto, but the weather was very fine and felt as hot as mid-summer. 🌞
 
Heavy rain is expected this weekend, so please be careful if you go out.
 
And today, besides the start of the rainy season, it was also the summer solstice!
 
The summer solstice is said to be the day with the longest daylight and the shortest night of the year. With longer daylight hours, sightseeing can be even more enjoyable. 😊✨
 
 
Did you know that there is a certain sweet that you always see in Kyoto around this time of the summer solstice? It’s so popular that it can be found not only at traditional Japanese confectionery shops but also at supermarkets and convenience stores…
 
 
It’s “minazuki”‼️
 
 
Minazuki is a traditional Japanese sweet consisting of triangular “uiro” (rice flour cake) representing ice, topped with “azuki” (red beans) to ward off evil. In the Muromachi period, ice was used at the Imperial Court to cool off from the heat, but for commoners, ice was a very precious item. So, minazuki, which resembles ice, was created to pray for health.
 
June 30th marks the halfway point of the year. 🚩
 
There are events called “Nagoshi no Harae” held in various places to cleanse the impurities accumulated over the first half of the year and pray for health for the remaining half until the year’s end.
 
During this time, people pass through a ring made of a plant called “chinowa” to pray for protection from misfortune. If you visit Kyoto around this time, be sure to pray for good health and enjoy the delicious minazuki sweets. ✨