Why do we sing "Give me the candle" to get candy?

The reason why children sing "Bring out the candles" has its roots in Hakodate. According to records remaining in Hakodate, this festival began in the late Edo period. At that time, there was a festival in Hakodate where Nebuta-like floats and lanterns filled the town, and it is said that candles were used to light the floats.

Children collected candles from each house to light the shrine, so they sang "Give me your candles." However, due to the influence of the Meiji government's policies at the time, festivals like Nebuta gradually disappeared in Hakodate, and there was no longer a need to collect candles. The tradition of "borrowing candles" that continues in Hakodate naturally changed the things that children received from candles to sweets later, and it is still carried on today.

A slightly strange custom that still remains in Hokkaido

Although "borrowing candles" is not seen much these days, the light of the candles quietly represents the lives and thoughts of people in the past. Whether you have sung the song "Bring out the candles, bring them out," or not, if you think about this custom for a moment, it may bring back memories of quietly lit summers.

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