The modern Japanese word for October is 十月 (literally "10th Month), however in the old-fashioned calendar is was known as 神無月, or "the month with no gods".
In October, all the gods in Japan (there are believed to be 8 million of them) go to Izumo Shrine in Shimane Prefecture for a meeting, thus leaving most of Japan with no gods.
Phîn-shî tū tá pán, nāi-jiu Tung-tsiat m̂ nô jân?
-- Hak-ka s-fū-fā
You made rice cakes all the time, how can you no make the rice ball for the winter solstice festival?
-- Hakka idiom
(Don't give up, you are almost there.)
今朝は習字 Form practice this morning. Sometimes I need to sit with a character before I feel comfortable with it. That usually involves breaking the character apart, practicing the strokes within it and then putting it back together. Once I can feel how it the pieces fit together in kaisho (standard) I can explore semi cursive and cursive. This allows me to see how the pieces morphed from complex to a mere curved line. 〜〜〜〜〜 #calligraphy #japanesecalligraphy #calligraphyart #kanji #Shodo #Shodolesson #bigbrushshodo #smallbrushshodo #kuretakefudepen #pentelbrushpen #handwriting #書道 #書道レッスン #漢字 #字 #習字 #大筆 #小筆 #kuretake筆ペン #ペンてる筆 #ReflectiveLearning #飛麗史 #lifelonglearning (at Blue Springs, Missouri) https://www.instagram.com/p/CoPwYGsuYsG/?igshid=NGJjMDIxMWI=
桜梅桃李 (o-bai-to-ri) “never compare yourself to others”
This yo-ji-juku-go (Japanese 4-character idiom) is comprised of 4 beloved Japanese trees. They are:
桜 = cherry (sakura)
梅 = apricot (ume)
桃 = peach (momo)
李 = plum (sumomo)
Each of these iconic trees blossoms in its own time and in its own unique way.
桜 (sakura) are of course the cherry blossom trees famous for blooming spectacularly and incredibly briefly once a year, usually in April. Sakura trees in full bloom is an annual event, and people go to their local park to see them, take photos, and have picnics underneath them. It's such a big deal that it's reported on the weather forecast, with reporters commenting on how quickly the "sakura front" is moving northwards across the country.
梅 (ume) is the "ume" in umeshu! This is a sweet liqueur which is made from soaking ume in sake. It tastes amazing, and is one of the things I miss most about Japan. Japanese learners will no doubt recognise "ume" as usually being translated as "plum", however it is technically closer to the Western apricot.
桃 (momo) is one of the best-loved fruits in Japan. There is even a fairy story called "Momo-taro" about a little boy who comes from inside a peach. He grows up to be a great hero, of course, and saves everyone from a demon. "Momo" is also a fairly common girls' name.
李 (sumomo) are known as "Japanese plums" or "Asian plums". The trees are famous for their delicate white flowers. They usually bloom just before the sakura. Whilst not as famous or as showy as sakura, they are well-loved for their elegance, and for being a sign of spring.
This one-off calligraphy artwork is available on my Etsy shop here: