Why Do They Sing "Give Us Candles" to Get Sweets?

The reason children sing "Give us candles" has its roots in Hakodate. According to records remaining in the city, this festival began in the late Edo period. At that time, Hakodate had a festival where Nebuta-style floats and lanterns filled the streets, and candles were used to illuminate these floats.

So, the children would go around to each house to collect candles for the lights, which is why they sang "Give us candles." However, due to factors like the policies of the Meiji government at the time, the Nebuta-style festival in Hakodate gradually disappeared, and there was no longer a need to collect candles. In the enduring "Rosoku Morai" of Hakodate, what the children received naturally shifted from candles to sweets, and the tradition has been passed down to this day.

A Curious Custom That Still Remains in Hokkaido

Although "Rosoku Morai" is not often seen in modern times, its light quietly carries the lives and thoughts of people from the past. Whether you've sung "Rōsoku da-se, da-se yo" before or not, taking a moment to reflect on this custom might just bring back quietly glowing summer memories.