七五三

Japanese

Kanji in this term
七	五	三
しち Grade: 1	ご Grade: 1	さん Grade: 1
goon

Etymology

From 七 (shichi, “seven”) +‎ 五 (go, “five”) +‎ 三 (san, “three”). The numbers refer to the ages of the children involved.

Pronunciation

• (Tokyo) しちごさん [shìchígósáń] (Heiban – [0])
• (Tokyo) しちご​さん [shìchígóꜜsàǹ] (Nakadaka – [3])
• IPA^(key): [ɕi̥t͡ɕiɡo̞sã̠ɴ]

Proper noun

七(しち)五(ご)三(さん) • (Shichigosan) 

1. The Japanese festival for children; a traditional rite of passage and festival day in Japan for three- and seven-year-old girls and three- and five-year-old boys, held annually on November 15. As Shichigosan is not a national holiday, it is generally observed on the nearest weekend. Similar to こどもの日 (Kodomo no Hi, literally “Children's Day”)
   • 1989 November 10 [1988 May 25], Fujiko F. Fujio, “第二話　中年はもてる…か？ [Chapter 2: A Middle-Aged Man Can Still Be Attractive… Can't He?]”, in 征地球論 [A Debate over Conquering Earth] (藤子・Ｆ・不二雄 ＳＦ全短編; 3), 2nd edition, volume 3 (fiction), Tokyo: Chuokoronsha, →ISBN, 第三章　中年スーパーマン左江内氏, page 383:

     あんた‼なによ　その七(しち)五(ご)三(さん)みたいなかっこ‼

     Anta‼ Nani yo sono Shichigosan mitai na kakko‼

     What’s with the Shichigosan outfit!?