Koinobori, meaning 'carp streamer' in Japanese, is a traditional craft made in Japan to celebrate Children's Day (Kodomo no Hi). Held on May 5th every year, it's the final national holiday during Golden Week, which is a series of national holidays to allow Japanese people take a week off to travel, visit family and spend money. The purpose of Children's Day is to "honor the character of children, emphasize their welfare and give thanks to mothers." The carp streamers are made to decorate the town and celebrate the perseverance, vitality, and health of young Japanese boys. Now that we know the meaning of them, let's start making our own! How creative can you get?
Materials Needed
- Toilet Paper Roll
- Glue Stick
- Scissors
- Thread/ Yarn
- Colored Construction Paper
- Black Marker
- Tape
Step 1
Grab your toilet paper roll, set it aside, and begin cutting circles out from your colored construction paper to decorate.
Step 2
Once everything is cut out, grab your glue stick and glue on the colorful circles to overlap one another! Make it look bright and colorful to stand out!
Step 3
Begin adding the streamers by gluing them on the bottom inside of the 'carp.' Then, glue the eye on the top of the 'carp.'
Step 4
Once everything is together and secure, take your thread or yarn and create a handle at the top of the 'carp' so it can fly in the wind!
Are you ready to make your own? Even though the holiday is celebrated in May every year, this craft is a fun one to do during any of the 365 days in a year!
Leave a comment