心を明るく元気にさせたような不思議な力を感じました。
２年ぶりに多賀大社古例大祭が２２日晴天の下、つつがなく古式豊かに執り行われました。馬４０数頭の「お渡り」と言われる騎馬行列の主役は馬頭人で今年は「鮎のきむら」でお馴染みの彦根の水産会社代表の木村泰造氏。（写真撮影は川岸真喜氏）子供の頃から見慣れた多賀大社のお祭りですが、コロナ禍で鬱々とした日々を過ごしてきた私たちにこのお渡りは何か言葉にならない大きな感動があったように思います。人出は平日でマスク事情もあり特に多くはなかったのかも知れませんが、昨年キャンセルされた後だけに今年こそはという皆の意気込みと立派なお渡りが始まったという安堵の気持ちが、それぞれの心を明るく元気にさせたような不思議な力を感じました。パカパカと響く馬のひずめの音を耳に静かで整然とした騎馬行列を観ながら、今更ながら年中行事の意味深さを知った思いです。
さて、翌日の朝市で地元産のウド（250円）を見つけました。あまりに立派なウドだったので思わず買ってしまい、家で長さを測ったら８０センチもありました。調理法をネットで見て、真ん中のところは薄く切って酢水に漬けて辛子味噌和えと木の芽味噌をかけたもの、皮と細いところはキンピラ、葉っぱのところは天ぷら。４品も作りました。熱々の天ぷらが美味しく、ほかの３品もウドのシャキシャキ感があって大満足。今夜はウドづくしの夕食でした。
Taga Taisha shrine festival was held on the 22nd under a clear sky for the first time in two years because it was cancelled last year due to preventing the spread of coronavirus. The main person of the festival was accompanied by 40 horses with people in a procession called “Batoh-nin” (Horse head man). It was Mr. Taizo Kimura who owns a fishing company which is well known as “sweetfish of Kimura”. (photo was taken by Mr. M. Kawagishi.）I have been seeing this festival since I was a child, but the one of this year was very special and had a big meaning to us who had been spending stressful days due to the coronavirus. It was not very crowded because festival day (Apr.22nd) was a weekday and many people didn’t want to be crowded places so as not to be infected with coronavirus. However, I felt people’s energy and wish to make the festival successful and complete the procession safely. It made people feel cheerful and it was very impressive to me. Hearing the sound of horses walking and watching quietly the well-ordered procession, I learned how these annual events cheer people up and are important.
By the way, I found local Udo (Aralia cordata) at a vegetable stand near my house Friday. Since it was so fresh and long, I bought and cooked with some recipes from YouTube. There was no waste and I made four different dishes. They were so good and I enjoyed them very much.
（2021年4月24日）
