Misogi

Misogi (Japanese禊) is a purification ritual ( washing) in the Shinto religion, which takes place twice a year. The believers purify themselves against worshiping in a waterfall or running, mostly cold water before sunrise.

For the special Ritual clothing is worn, for women, this is the white kimono and a headband for men a loincloth and a headband.

The tradition of the ritual goes back to the myth of Izanami no Mikoto, the purified himself in the sea after he Yomi, the land of the dead traveled through.

Misogi is also the origin of a number of other cleansing rituals:

• Ascetic practices such Kessai (洁 斎), a hybrid of Misogi and the cold water washes of Buddhism (水垢 离, mizugori )
• Temizu (手 水), washing of hands and mouth before worship in Shinto shrine in a private shrine - building, the running temizuya (手 水 舎)

The Misogi is related to the purification ritual harae so that both together as Misogiharae (禊 祓) are referred to.

Source

• Dr. Vollmer 's dictionary of mythology of all peoples. Newly edited by Dr. W. Binder. With an introduction to the mythological science of Dr. John Minckwitz. Third Edition. With 303 illustrations. Stuttgart: Hoffmann'sche Verlagsbuchhandlung, 1874 ( p.337 ).