also: ねのび
expression, noun
day of the Rat
In the traditional Chinese zodiac calendar, the day of the Rat, especially the first such day in the New Year, was observed with customs like gathering herbs and pulling up young pines.
昔は子の日に野山へ出かけて若菜を摘んだ。
Long ago, on the day of the Rat, people would go out to the fields and hills to pick young greens.
expression, noun
collecting herbs and pulling up young pines on the day of the Rat
Abbreviation of 子の日の遊び, an archaic New Year custom. The activity itself is the focus, not the day.
See also: 子の日の遊び
「子の日」は、若菜を摘み松を根引きする遊びを指すこともあった。
The term 子の日 could also refer to the pastime of picking young greens and pulling up pines by the roots.
expression, noun
pine shoot pulled out by the roots on the day of the Rat
Abbreviation of 子の日の松, an archaic term for the pine shoot used in the day-of-the-Rat custom.
See also: 子の日の松
「子の日」は、根引きした松そのものを指す古い言い方でもある。
子の日 is also an old way of referring to the pine shoot itself that was pulled up by the roots.
From 子 (ne, 'Rat', the first sign of the Chinese zodiac) + の (no, possessive particle) + 日 (hi, 'day'), referring to the day of the Rat in the traditional calendar. The reading ねのび is a variant.