Hari Dragonboat Races
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Events to celebrate ancestors and spirits play a very important part in the lives of Okinawan people. Many Okinawan songs and dances originated at festivals like these, each of which is closely tied in with everyday life. The biggest of these events are the dragonboat races--called hari--that take place from May to July in the cities of Naha and Itoman. The races were brought over from China and are a way of praying that fishermen will catch many fish. In mid-July the passion of competition grows as teams from around Okinawa vie for the Governor of Okinawa flag at Manza Beach, near the center of the main island.
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