| The
First Grand Purification Ceremony in Manhattan |
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On June
30th, 2004, Rev. Mitsutaka Inui of ISF/NY performed the first
Grand Purification Ceremony in Manhattan. From Ancient times
in Japan, they performed grand purification ceremonies twice
a year, for the purposes of reducing bad karma in half the year
by Hitogata (paper doll).
In
New York, 8 people attended the first time event, including
one non-Japanese, who were purified by Norito prayer. Following
the ceremony as ceremonial banquet, we shared offered sweets
Minadzuki (old June’s name also). During the ceremony, people
wished for an healthy summer by eating triangle-shaped cake.
The most prominent reason for its triangular shape is that it
resembles the shape of the white and gold pieces of sacred papers
used for Shinto ceremonies. June 1st was also when the Imperial
House and central government received ice long ago so Minadzuki
pays homage to that tradition, as well.
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