節句

Japanese
Kanji in this term
節 句
せつ > せっ
Grade: 4		 く
Grade: 5
on’yomi
Alternative spelling
節句 (kyūjitai)

Alternative forms
  • 節供

Etymology

Appears to be a Japanese coinage using Middle Chinese-derived components, possibly derived as a portmanteau or contraction from 節 (setsu, “season”) + 供御 (kugo, “offering of food or drink”). Compound of 節 (setsu, “season”) +‎ 供 (ku, “offering”), in reference to offerings of food and drink made by the nobility to shrines and temples for the seasonal celebrations.

The use of 句 to spell the ku portion is an example of ateji.

Pronunciation

Noun

節(せっ)句(く) • (sekku) 

  1. a seasonal festival day, such as 子供の日 (Kodomo no Hi, “Children's Day”) on 5 May or 七夕 (Tanabata) on 7 July
  2. (by extension from the way that most sekku are also holidays) rest and relaxation, a break (of a day or longer)

Synonyms
  • (seasonal festival day): 節日(せちにち) (sechinichi)
  • (break): 骨休(ほねやす)め (hone yasume)

Derived terms
Derived terms
  • 節句銭(せっくせん) (sekkusen): in the Edo period, a special payment made from renters to landlords on the day of sekku
  • 節句始(せっくはじ)め (sekku hajime): a child's first sekku after being born: 3 March for girls, 5 May for boys
  • 節句働(せっくばたら)き (sekkubataraki): working on a sekku holiday while everyone else is off work
  • 初節句(はつぜっく) (hatsuzekku): a child's first sekku after being born: 3 March for girls, 5 May for boys
  • 五節句(ごせっく) (go sekku, “go sekku”): the five major sekku during the year: 人日 (Jinjitsu) on 7 January, 上巳 (Jōshi) on 3 March, 端午 (Tango) on 5 May, 七夕 (Tanabata) on 7 July, and 重陽 (Chōyō) on 9 September
  • 煤取(すすと)り節供(せっく) (Susutori Sekku): a housecleaning (specifically soot cleaning) ceremony held on 13 December in preparation for New Years
  • 綱打(つなう)ち節供(せっく) (Tsunauchi Sekku): a ceremony in fishing villages for making the rope and line used for the year, held on 20 January
  • 穂垂(ほた)れ節供(せっく) (Hotare Sekku): a second New Years, formerly held on 14 or 15 January of the lunar calendar, marking the first full moon of the year

References
  1. NHK Broadcasting Culture Research Institute, editor (1998), NHK日本語発音アクセント辞典 [NHK Japanese Pronunciation Accent Dictionary] (in Japanese), Tōkyō: NHK Publishing, →ISBN
  2. Matsumura, Akira, editor (2006), 大辞林 [Daijirin] (in Japanese), Third edition, Tōkyō: Sanseidō, →ISBN
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