Kanreki

I recently turned 61. I did not know it was a milestone birthday. My friends Betty, Kiko, Joyce, Pat and Patty educated me about the 61st birthday in Japanese culture. When a man turns 61 a celebration called Kanreki takes place. According to Japanese culture, it takes 60 years for a man to finish a cycle on Earth. The 60th birthday is the midpoint between two eras of one's life (editorial comment:woohoo!)
The birthday person wears a red vest and a red hat to symbolize childhood. In japanese, red is akai, so the celebrant becomes an aka-chan or baby beginning life all over again.
I want to thank you ladies for the beautiful card and for giving me a really good excuse for acting like a kid again!