Frog day
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FROG DAY
Celebrated in China, Frog Day is a long running holiday that stemmed from China's ancient myths. Frogs are widely known as intelligent, lucky, and spiritual creatures who bring great fortune to everyone who comes across them.
The main celebrations of Frog Day occur due to the old tale of a blind man. The story was believed to have originated from Shanghai in the early 1600s. However, many variations of it now exist, and time has adapted the story so that the date of the original is unknown to us. The story's main premise involved a man who had no sight. He lived in a great house, by a great pond, and was incredibly close to nature. Whilst walking through a nearby forest, nightfall came quicker than expected and caused him to lose sense of where he was. Being a regular visiter to the forest meant he knew his way around very well, even without the aid of sight. However, the darkness confused the man, leaving him lost, fearful and uncertain of what to do. It wasn't until he heard a distant noise that he was distracted from his fear, and instead calmed by the sounds. It was the shallow croak of a frog. The story tells of the frog's call drifting to the man's ears and leading him to the safety of his pond. The frog guided him home, and kept him safe from the dangers of the forest at night.
Because of the story, frogs are now associated with a general feeling of positivity and good tidings. They are often believed to bring everything from luck, to general happiness. A lot of people also firmly believe in their ability to guide travellers safely home, and so many people will carry small figurines of frogs around with them in their pocket.
Frog Day is typically celebrated on the first Friday of October, each year, a day when areas become filled with origami frogs in order to remind people of their positive blessings. The origami frogs are usually composed from patterned paper or delicate fabrics, reflecting the aestehtic beauty and delicacy of the creatures themselves. Its also been known to hide gifts inside the origami figures, so that the lucky founder of the prize frog can be blessed with great luck for the year. Mostly these gifts consist of personal messages of fortune and praise. However, it has been widely known to put money inside some of the frogs as well, so that wealth is brought to they whom most deserves it.
