Red spider lily,Higanbana(ヒガンバナ)

This is first installment of a two-part series of this article.

The Japanese name of this flower is called Higanbana or Manjusyage.

This flower name comes from the autumnal equinox.

Higanbana top four characters higan means equinox, last four bana means flowers.

That is, this flower seems to have been named the higanbana because it blooms at the time of the autumnal equinox.

The word higan(彼岸) meaning “the other shore,” or, in Buddhism,nirvana,and is a Buddhist holiday exclusively celebrated by Japanese sects during both the Spring and Autumnal Equinox. 

During higan the spirits of ancestors are recalled, Buddhist rites carry out and family visit their graves .