Why do they sing "Candle out the candles" and get sweets?

The reason why children sing "Candle Out" has its roots in Hakodate. According to records remaining in Hakodate, this festival began in the late Edo period. At that time, Hakodate had a festival in which floats and lanterns like Nebuta filled the town, and candles were used to light the floats.

The children collected candles from each house to light the floats, which is why they sang the song, "Get out the candles! However, due to the policies of the Meiji government of the time, festivals like Nebuta in Hakodate gradually disappeared, and the need to collect candles disappeared. The "Candle Giving" tradition in Hakodate has continued to this day, with the children's gifts naturally changing from candles to sweets.

At the end of this article

How was it? It may be rare to see the "Candle Festival" in person, but it may be a good idea to remember this custom a little during the Obon season, as is typical of Hokkaido.

Check it out as well!