Kieran's First Boy's Day

May 5th is Boy's Day in Japan. Families who have boys put big carp streamers outside their houses and they display samurai armor in their in their tokonomas (sacred alcoves). We bought some very humble carp streamers and a nice little set of armor. The carp are thought to be very strong fish and the armor is supposed to symbolically protect Kieran until he's an adult.

Here are Hiroe and Kieran with the carp streamers (koinobori):


Here is Kieran with his armor (kabuto):