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| Japanese revelers during a past Penis festival. (Photo/buzzfeednews.com) |
On Saturday, February 13, revered economist David Ndii via a tweet claimed that it was 'Dick Worship Day', something that seems to have sent his thousands of his Twitter followers into a wild frenzy.
This was perhaps because February 14, as we all know is Valentine's Day, the day of lovers. What a coincidence many may have wondered in excitement?
Well, while indeed there's such a festival, it seems like Ndii was deliberately intentional to mislead his followers. Alternatively, he could have been referring to another day may be known to him only.
Today is dick worship day #MasculinitySaturday
— David Ndii (@DavidNdii) February 13, 2021
The one that is widely documented, is a Japanese festival that comes in April. The Shinto Kanamara Matsuri (Japanese) "Festival of the Steel Phallus", is held each spring at the Kanayama Shrine Kanayama-jinja in Kawasaki, Japan. The exact dates vary: the main festivities fall on the first Sunday in April. This year it falls on April 4.
According to Wikipedia, the Kanamara Matsuri is centered on a local penis-venerating shrine. The legend is that a jealous sharp-toothed demon hid inside the vagina of a young woman whom the demon fell in love with and bit off penises of two young men on their wedding nights.
After that the woman sought help from a blacksmith, who fashioned an iron phallus to break the demon's teeth, which led to the enshrinement of the item. A phallus is a penis, especially when erect, or an object that resembles a penis.
The Kanayama Shrine was popular among prostitutes who wished to pray for protection from sexually transmitted infections. It is also said the shrine offers protection for easy delivery, marriage, and married-couple harmony.
The festival started in 1969. Today, the festival has become something of a tourist attraction and is used to raise money for HIV research.
Good! Now you know that today is not 'Dick Worship Day' as Ndii suggests.