A traditional local event by children has held on Sunday14, January.
In the city where I live there are events (traditional event) do by children, which have been done since long time ago. Its origin is said to be the Heian era (running from 794 to 1185 ), but I do not know the details. There are similar events in neighboring towns, but their nicknames are different.
We call this event "Awantori" here. The meaning of "Awantori":
The pronunciation of this kanji『粟』 is Awa,”あわ“ in Hiragana.
"とり” in Hiragana mean "taking" in English.
That is to say, "Drive away the birds that eat millet".
It seems to have come to say that the gesture to drive away the small birds coming to eat "millet" which was one of the Japanese cereal foods from ancient times was called "Awantori".
And it is said that it is the origin of praying for the productiveness of grain.
When I am an elementary school student, adults dig five holes in embankment and rice paddy vacancies on a small village basis every January 14 every year, and there are five bamboos about 10 m there.
After that, the children surround the surroundings such as daylily. And put some New Year festoon made of sacred straw in it, burn it in the evening. And we used to eat some rice cake soup etc. And we used to eat some rice cakes with soup etc. at on duty home. Also, I brought home the bamboo that remained burned, made chopsticks etc and prayed for health.
Now, the times have changed, At Abiko third elementary school near my house, it became to do the event with all the students at on their school ground.
A reporter from a major newspaper Asahi Shimbun has come to cover this for a news.
私が住んでいる街では、ずっと前から行われてきた子供たちによる行事（伝統的な行事）があります。
その起源は平安時代と言われているが、詳細はわからない。また、近隣の町にも
同様の行事があるが、その呼び名が異なります。
当地ではこの行事を『あわんとり』と呼びます。『あわんとり』の日本語の意味は、
この漢字「粟」の発音は、ひらがなのあわ「あわ」です。
ひらがなの「とり」は英語で「取る」ことを意味します。
すなわち、『粟を食べる小鳥を追い払う』と言うことです。
古代から日本人の穀物食糧であった『粟』を食べにくる小鳥を追い払う仕草を
『あわんとり』と言うようになったのではと思われます。
そして五穀豊穣を祈ることが起源だとも言われております。
私が小学生のころ、毎年1月14日向けて大人達が小村落単位で堤防や稲作田の空き地に、5つの穴を掘り、そこに10ｍぐらいの5本の竹を立てくれる。
其のあとは子供たちがその周りを萱で囲む。そして、その中に正月のお飾りなどを入れて、夕方に燃やす。そして、当番の自宅で雑煮などを食べたものだ。また、燃え残った竹を持ち帰り、箸などを作り健康を祈った。
今は、時代が変わり、私の家の近くの我孫子第三小学校ではそのグランドで全生徒がその行事を行うようになった。
大手新聞朝日新聞社の記者が、これをニュースに取材するためにやってきた。
Set up a prop with five bamboo pieces
Make walls with daylily
Get New Year festoon made of sacred straw inside
Rice cakes for distribution to the individual.
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