Silver Week
Silver Week (シルバーウィーク, Shirubā Wīku) is a new Japanese term applied to a string of consecutive holidays in September. In 2009, the term has gained popularity[1], referring to the unusual occurrence of a weekend followed by three Japanese public holidays in September. The holidays are:
- Respect for the Aged Day, third Monday of September
- Autumnal Equinox Day, astronomically determined, but usually September 23
- Kokumin no kyūjitsu, the day in between the two other holidays
Japanese law stipulates that if there is only one non-holiday in between two public holidays, that day should become an additional holiday, known as a Kokumin no kyūjitsu (lit. Citizens' Holiday). It is unusual for September to get this extra holiday. In Japanese pseudo-anglicism, "silver" is a commonly used, polite adjective for referring to the elderly, deriving from their gray hair. The holiday period is sometimes used for foreign travel.[2][3]
Prior to 2009, a different definition of Silver Week referred to the days in the second half of November around the time of Labour Thanksgiving Day[4], or during the first week of November by another source[5]. Historians have identified Silver Week itself as a commercial invention of the 1950s film industry, keen to promote cinema attendance during the holiday by reference to the popularity of leisure pursuits during the better-established Golden Week[5], yet another invention of the Japanese film industry.[6] However, this older definition of Silver Week did not catch on nor did it make it to some dictionaries.[7]
September occurrences
The five day break occurs in the following years:
- September 19 — September 23: 2009, 2015, 2026, 2037, 2043, 2054, 2071, 2099
- September 18 — September 22: 2032, 2049, 2060, 2077, 2088, 2094
References
- ^ Google Trends - シルバーウィーク
- ^ Dingeman, Robbie (27 August 2009). "Hawaii visitor arrivals up 1.3%". Honolulu Advertiser. Retrieved 2 September 2009.
- ^ "Fewer overseas tourists visit Korea over summer". Joong Ang Daily. 2 September 2009. Retrieved 2 September 2009.
- ^ 小林信彦『物情騒然。 人生は五十一から』文藝春秋、2002年、p91-p92
- ^ a b Phillips, Alastair (2007). Japanese cinema: texts and contexts. Taylor and Francis. p. 165. ISBN 0415328489.
- ^ ゴールデンウィーク - 語源由来辞典
- ^ Yahoo! Dictionary - no entry found for シルバーウィーク