15th day of the 7th lunar month; last day of Bon lantern festival
Refers to the traditional date in the lunar calendar, now associated with the end of the Obon festival period. Often used in historical or cultural contexts.
The 15th day of the 7th lunar month is called Chūgen, and it is considered the last day of the Bon festival.
mid-year gift; summer gift; Bon Festival gift
Commonly used in the phrase お中元 to refer to gifts given in mid-summer, typically in July, to express gratitude. The standalone form 中元 is less frequent in modern everyday speech.
See also: お中元
For this year's summer gift, I'm thinking of sending local specialties.
The mid-year gift section in department stores is busy every year.
Every year I send a mid-year gift to the teacher who has helped me so much.
We received a mid-year gift from our business partner.