Abstinence in Satsuki

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Absention, abstinence in Satsuki (satsuki imi )

***** Location: Japan
***** Season: Mid-summer
***** Category: Observance

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Explanation

Satsuki is the name for the fifth month of the lunar calendar.
Now 6 Jun – 6 Jul

. Names of lunar months and solar seasons 　


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satsuki imi 五月忌 さつきいみ Abstention in Satsuki
amezutsumi 雨づつみ（あめづつみ）"wrapped in rain"
nagame imi 霖雨斎み（ながめいみ）"abstinence during the long rain"
onna no ie 女の家（おんなのいえ）"home of the women"
onna tenka no hi 女天下の日（おんなてんかのひ） "day of the women"

The three lunar months of 1, 5 and 9 were special months of abstinence, and there were no weddings or large celebrations held in these lunar months.

Satsuki was the month of planting the rice fields and thus the god of the fields was welcomed back from his retreat in the mountains. This also was a time for abstention or abstinence.

. Ta no Kami, God of the Rice Fields　田の神さま
and related kigo　


Young girls stayed indoors as miko maidens and performed purification rites. (imigomori 忌み篭もり)

The fifth day of the fifth month was therefore called

"home of the women" or "day of the women".
The girls lived in a special house with iris and mugwort hung from the eaves to ward off evil.

This was also the rainy season, so the court ladies celebrated this day in their waka poetry as
"wrapped in rain" or "abstinence during the long rain period".


During the whole of the fifth lunar month, couples had to be abstinent (and use their energy for planting rice).


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The fifth lunar month, a month with SA

satsuki 「さつき」「五月」
sanae 「早苗」(さなえ) 、saotome 「早乙女」(さをとめ) 、samidare 「五月雨」(さみだれ) 、sanaburi 「早苗饗」(さなぶり) sasamaki 「笹巻き」(ささまき)
sake 酒（さけ）/ sakana 酒菜（さかな）/sasageru 捧（ささ）げる

sa no kami サの神 / (ta no kami) 田の神
God of SA, god of the fields


勝平得之『植乙女』昭和二十五年
source : 20century.blog2



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Worldwide use


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Things found on the way



. imi 忌み / 斎み imi .
in the context of Shintoism



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. Iris (shoobu) and the fifth lunar month
Seasonal festival in May, gogatsu no sekku
五月の節句（ごがつのせっく） 　　



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HAIKU

新宮に忌日八月十二日
shinguu no imibi hachigatsu juuni nichi

the taboo day
for Shingu shrine is August
the twelfth

. Kuroda Momoko 黒田杏子 .


. shinguu shingū 新宮 Shingu "new shrine" .


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Related words

***** . Woman and KIGO 　

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