noun
Bon festival; Feast of Lanterns
A Buddhist ceremony held around July 15th (or August 15th in some regions) to honor ancestral spirits. Often referred to as お盆 (obon) in modern Japanese.
盂蘭盆には先祖の霊を供養する。
During the Bon festival, we hold memorial services for our ancestors' spirits.
盂蘭盆の時期には多くの人が帰省する。
Many people return to their hometowns during the Bon festival period.
The more common, everyday term for the Bon festival. 盂蘭盆 is a formal, Buddhist term.
From Sanskrit 'ullambana' (hanging upside down), referring to the Buddhist legend of Maudgalyayana saving his mother from suffering. The kanji are ateji.