Just so you know, this week is "Obon" holiday in Japan. It is a big Buddhist holiday here, but not so big in the west except among families of Japanese heritage. It is actually a time of ancestor remembrance, and to visit the graves of parents and grandparents.
We do not celebrate the holiday in our Sangha, and have a day for remembering our family and friends who have passed in February ...
... but you may wish to take some time to remember them again this week.
Here is some information about "Obon" (actually, there are two in Japan, one in July, but most people celebrate now in August):
Bon Odori dance at a Soto Zen temple in Hawaii ...
Gassho, J
STLah
PS - Yes, you may notice that Japanese Buddhism is a bit ambiguous about whether there are "souls" or "spirits" of the dead that can visit, a belief in souls and such that is not philosophically usually part of traditional Buddhism. It is more very ancient Japanese beliefs that became part of Japanese Buddhism, and the Zen and other Japanese Buddhist priests usually just let the question be ambiguous and celebrate Obon and welcome the spirits.
We do not celebrate the holiday in our Sangha, and have a day for remembering our family and friends who have passed in February ...
... but you may wish to take some time to remember them again this week.
Here is some information about "Obon" (actually, there are two in Japan, one in July, but most people celebrate now in August):
Obon [お盆] is the festival celebrated in Japan in mid-August, on the 15th. But the Obon festival season lasts for a few days, from the 13th to the 17th of the month, but different areas of Japan celebrate this festival on different days. It is the day to remember and honour the spirits of the ancestors. All the Japanese will visit their family and go to the graveyards’ of their families. Actually it can hardly be called a festival, it is a Buddhist tradition observed in Japan and in the other Buddhist nations as well. It is not an official national holiday, but many companies are closed down in Japan on those days, and the Japanese get together with all their family members. They believe that the souls of ancestors will come back and join them on this particular day.
All the houses are thoroughly cleaned in advance to welcome the spirits, and foods such as vegetables, sweets and fruits are placed as offerings in front of the altars in houses and temples. Incenses will be burnt during these days in every house. Paper lanterns called chochin and flowers are used to decorate the houses and the butsuden. People will go to the graveyard of their relatives to invite the souls to come home with them, and this tradition is called Mukae-bon. ... During this festival, Bon Odori dance is performed accompanied with a special music and drums. All the people dress in kimonos or yukatas and dance on the stage. They normally form a circle and dance around a lamp or a lantern, and almost everyone in the crowd will join this dance. This is done to welcome the spirits and hence this dance is considered the dance for the spirits. These are usually held at parks, temples or shrines, adorned with countless paper lanterns. Some temples and shrines are famous for their festivals held during the obon season. Rokudo mairi is the practice in which people gather at the temples or shrines to call for their ancestral spirits.
... Nowadays, Obon is considered a time for the family reunion and, that aspect is more important than honouring the souls in the present day society. People working and living in urban areas, and those living far from their home and family, will be coming back to their homes and enjoying the family presence during these days.
Bon Odori originates from the story of Maha Maudgalyayana (Mokuren), a disciple of the Buddha, who used his supernatural powers to look upon his deceased mother. He discovered she had fallen into the Realm of Hungry Ghosts and was suffering. Greatly disturbed, he went to the Buddha and asked how he could release his mother from this realm. Buddha instructed him to make offerings to the many Buddhist monks who had just completed their summer retreat, on the fifteenth day of the seventh month. The disciple did this and, thus, saw his mother's release. He also began to see the true nature of her past selflessness and the many sacrifices that she had made for him. The disciple, happy because of his mother's release and grateful for his mother's kindness, danced with joy. From this dance of joy comes Bon Odori or "Bon Dance", a time in which ancestors and their sacrifices are remembered and appreciated.
All the houses are thoroughly cleaned in advance to welcome the spirits, and foods such as vegetables, sweets and fruits are placed as offerings in front of the altars in houses and temples. Incenses will be burnt during these days in every house. Paper lanterns called chochin and flowers are used to decorate the houses and the butsuden. People will go to the graveyard of their relatives to invite the souls to come home with them, and this tradition is called Mukae-bon. ... During this festival, Bon Odori dance is performed accompanied with a special music and drums. All the people dress in kimonos or yukatas and dance on the stage. They normally form a circle and dance around a lamp or a lantern, and almost everyone in the crowd will join this dance. This is done to welcome the spirits and hence this dance is considered the dance for the spirits. These are usually held at parks, temples or shrines, adorned with countless paper lanterns. Some temples and shrines are famous for their festivals held during the obon season. Rokudo mairi is the practice in which people gather at the temples or shrines to call for their ancestral spirits.
... Nowadays, Obon is considered a time for the family reunion and, that aspect is more important than honouring the souls in the present day society. People working and living in urban areas, and those living far from their home and family, will be coming back to their homes and enjoying the family presence during these days.
Bon Odori originates from the story of Maha Maudgalyayana (Mokuren), a disciple of the Buddha, who used his supernatural powers to look upon his deceased mother. He discovered she had fallen into the Realm of Hungry Ghosts and was suffering. Greatly disturbed, he went to the Buddha and asked how he could release his mother from this realm. Buddha instructed him to make offerings to the many Buddhist monks who had just completed their summer retreat, on the fifteenth day of the seventh month. The disciple did this and, thus, saw his mother's release. He also began to see the true nature of her past selflessness and the many sacrifices that she had made for him. The disciple, happy because of his mother's release and grateful for his mother's kindness, danced with joy. From this dance of joy comes Bon Odori or "Bon Dance", a time in which ancestors and their sacrifices are remembered and appreciated.
Gassho, J
STLah
PS - Yes, you may notice that Japanese Buddhism is a bit ambiguous about whether there are "souls" or "spirits" of the dead that can visit, a belief in souls and such that is not philosophically usually part of traditional Buddhism. It is more very ancient Japanese beliefs that became part of Japanese Buddhism, and the Zen and other Japanese Buddhist priests usually just let the question be ambiguous and celebrate Obon and welcome the spirits.
It also marks the beginning of the end of the Italian holiday season, with many holiday makers turning towards home after the 15th. This will be a lovely opportunity to quietly honour family and friends gone before me, but not forgotten. 
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