仏教語の「盂蘭盆会（うらぼんえ）」を略したのが「お盆」です。語源は古代インドのサンスクリット語の「ウランバナ」といわれています。

先祖の霊が家に帰ってくるとされ、ご先祖様の霊が迷わないように入り口に目印を立て
お供えを準備してご先祖様を迎える準備をします。

Preparations for the Obon “welcoming of the Buddha” are now in place.

The word “Obon” is an abbreviation of the Buddhist word “Ura-bon-e”. The word is said to have originated from the ancient Indian Sanskrit word “urambana”.

It is believed that the spirits of ancestors return to their homes.
In order to prevent the spirits of ancestors from wandering off, we mark the entrance and prepare offerings to welcome them.

People get ready to welcome the spirits of ancestors by making fires in the evening of the 13th of August.

The welcome fire is to show a sign for the spirits to come back to without getting lost.

People light fires again to send the spirits back in the evening of the 16th of August.