Christian Festival held at Kushi in Nago to bless newborn babies
On December 25, at the Kushi Community Hall in Nago, happily smiling parents and children received a blessing from people in the local community.
December 28, 2012 Ryukyu Shimpo
On December 25, at the Kushi Community Center in Nago, a traditional Christian festival was held to bless children born that year. About 100 participants celebrated babies born from January to November and 13 parents, prayed for the healthy growth of their children. The people of the community contributed a range of performances and Kiyotaka Higa, head of the district, presented cash contributions to the babies and their parents. Higa said, “Children are treasures. I hope that all our residents help look after them as though they were your children.”
Kiminori Higa, who participated with his son Sukai, born in January, was delighted, saying, “My birth was celebrated in this way in the Christian festival and now, as a father, I celebrate the birth of a son. This is a happy occasion for me.”
Higa’s sister, Kumiko Kadekaru, took part in the festival with her two-day old baby Yuki, so this day was doubly enjoyable for the brother and sister.
According to Kushi Village records, this event has the historical backdrop in which residents submitted a list of newborn babies to the royal government during the Ryukyu Kingdom era, during which Christianity was banned.
(English translation by T&CT, Mark Ealey)
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