The Hakata Dontaku is one of Japan's oldest festivals, and even today one of Japan's largest, with a history going back more than 830 years and up to 2 million people coming to see it every year on May 3rd-4th. It started as a New Year's celebration in 1179 called Matsubayashi, but the name was changed to Dontaku (taken from the Dutch word for Sunday, Zondag, meaning holiday) after the Meiji government banned it for 12 years until 1880 because it was getting too big and lavish. There are huge colorful parades of up to 15,000 people and cars decorated in flowers, as well as dancing on over 30 stages across the city, and the whole city goes wild with excitement. Traditional symbols of the festival are carrying the shamoji, or rice-cooker spoons which are clapped togther, and also Hakata Niwaka masks and flowered hats.
