In three months I will be on my way to do the Shikoku pilgrimage for a third time. Hard to believe. I have been able to start to make some of our accommodation bookings at some of the favorite places I like to stay.
For “osettai” I plan to give along the way, I have some Canadian pins and a crest I made. Here is the crest below:
Osettai are gifts willingly given to pilgrims. It is believed when giving to a pilgrim, one is actually giving to Kobo Daishi. It is considered impolite to refuse an offer of osettai. The custom of giving, which has been prevalent for hundreds of years, is an important part of the Shikoku pilgrimage culture.
I have been working on my osame fuda name slips below as well.
Since this is my third time doing the Shikoku pilgrimage, I decided to do do the pilgrimage in memory of my dad. Hard to believe it has been four years since his passing.
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