Bon and year-end festivals
Refers collectively to the two major gift-giving and homecoming seasons in Japan: the Bon festival in mid-August (or mid-July in some regions) and the New Year period. Often used in contexts of seasonal greetings, gifts, or travel.
There is a custom of giving gifts to relatives during the Bon and year-end seasons.
The Shinkansen gets crowded during the Bon and year-end homecoming rush.
Standard spelling.
Abbreviated spelling, less common but still used.
Compound of 盆 (Bon festival) and 暮れ (year-end). The exact historical derivation is uncertain, but the term has been used since at least the Edo period to refer to the two major seasonal gift-giving occasions.