大吉, 中吉, 小吉, 吉, 末吉, 凶, 大凶
Japanese Shinto shrines often offer fortune slips. With paying one hundred yen (about one dollar), you can draw a piece of paper. The results are defined seven grades as above. “大吉 Dai-kichi” means special good fortune, so you can rarely grab it. “吉 Kichi” means adequate, and the results get worse as going right side.
On New Year’s Day in 2004, I went to Tsurugaoka Hachimangu in Kamakura, which is one of the most famous and traditional Shinto shrine, with my boyfriend. We had been going with for only one month. After praying for fortune of the New Year, he suggested to draw fortune slips. He said cheerfully “Let’s compete which of us will be luckier this year!”
I drew a piece of paper first and opened it. I saw “大吉” on the paper. Although I had ever drawn fortune slips for several times, that was my first time to catch the best one. I said happily to my boyfriend “I won!” He opened his paper, and his paper was also “大吉” Since that shrine is known as whose fortune slips are severe (people often get “凶” bad, and few people has seen “大吉”), we were deeply surprised with our results. We talked mutually that our new year and our relationship would be happy. Although our relationship had just started, I thought secretly that our future might be promised. On the way home, we bought two lucky charms which were shaped into symbolic birds of that shrine in memory of the day. The one with blue string was his, and the one with red string was mine.
Four years later, we still have those lucky charms, and we are married.
3 comments:
I like the story. when I was younger I praied for my future every Chinese New Year,
But I praied alone because I didn't luck as you had boyfriend came with you.By that time i didn't have a boyfriend, and i praied i will have one on the coming year.
What a beautiful story, and a wonderful symbol of your relationship. Thanks for sharing.
This was a very sweet story I was very touched.
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