Lucky and unlucky days

[Manekineko]

When tearing May from a calendar at work today, I noticed designations in kanji for each day, which seemed to repeat regularly. I asked my co-workers what they meant, and after a few "muzukashii, ne" found out those were signs of lucky or unlucky days (for weddings, funerals, suchlikes). Wikipedia has details.

Anyhow, it seems to me that unlucky days are more prevalent... Let's see.

All good: taian

Half good-half bad: sensho and senbu

Unknown, but bad for friends and funerals: tomobiki

Mostly bad: shakko

All bad: butsumetsu

Basically, only one day in 6 is really lucky, two more are so-so, and the rest is bad. Reminds me of a lunar-cycle something (I forgot the details, maybe it was best time for dieting, maybe it was something else): important days for it were day of full moon and three days before and after, AND day of new moon and three days before and after. Making in total 14 days of 28-29 day lunar cycle, or roughly 50%. (In a state of confusion...)

[Hashira]

funny, i was just discussing this last night with my wife and her family.

we're expecting our first child any day now, and were trying to figure out what day might be good. I was actually the one who mentioned these good and bad luck days, but the general consensus was that they're not really observed anymore.

fortune-telling from these lucky days is clearly not as sure-fire as using blood types (In a state of confusion...)

[Harry]

Butsumetsu is odd as it is the day that Buddha supposedly died but Shinto shrines often close on that day... The linking of those religions in Japan is very interesting.

Western astrology is similar to these unlucky days though most people just use it in a rudimentary way. If done, ahem, 'properly' you can know what day, hour, and so on are better for you as well as what materials, surroundings and other things. An astrologer could not only plan your wedding but the best time and place for meetings or battles for the best possible outcomes. As well, they could produce charms for you using things with which you have affinity and so on.

The Japanese unlucky days and numerology seems to be less personal than astrology which attempts to find your personal lucky and unlucky relationships. Neither is used that much any more in general use though some manufacturers still avoid the bad numbers (no Canon G4 camera for example as no one wants to buy a camera of death). When many people from Hong Kong came to Vancouver to buy houses before the lease expired, many petitioned to change the numbers on their houses which seems odd to us but no worse than the 13th floor I guess.

[Jonosuke]

Anyhow, it seems to me that unlucky days are more prevalent... Let's see.

All good: taian

Half good-half bad: sensho and senbu

Unknown, but bad for friends and funerals: tomobiki

Mostly bad: shakko

All bad: butsumetsu

Actually Tomobiki literally means "pulling friend(s)" so it may be bad for a funeral but it's good for weddings for those who are not married as they too can get married soon.

Obviously no one goes out to have a wedding ceremony on Butsumetsu days but on the other hand you may be hard pressed to find a banquet hall open in a large hotel on a Taian day falling on weekend. Most of these days, hotel managers are busy counting seconds as each ceremony must end in its alloted time as all the others that follow are waiting for them and guests arriving on the time.

Since it's all periodic and it's just like the day of week, you can plan ahead and that is the reason sometimes a wedding ceremony takes so far ahead in future as they need to arrange the facility and everything else meeting everyone's conditions as well as the good day on calendar.

Edited June 5, 2008 by Jonosuke

[Mark Buckton]

funny, i was just discussing this last night with my wife and her family.

we're expecting our first child any day now, and were trying to figure out what day might be good. I was actually the one who mentioned these good and bad luck days, but the general consensus was that they're not really observed anymore.

fortune-telling from these lucky days is clearly not as sure-fire as using blood types :-)

good luck with the birth. (In a state of confusion...)

that good old blood type thing we have going on here in Japan

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Japanese_bloo..._of_personality