band using flutes and drums. There are also other, regional types of kagura. Festivals Public festivals are commonly termed , although this term has varied meanings—"festival," "worship," "celebration," "rite," or "prayer"—and no direct translation into English. Picken suggested that the festival was "the central act of Shinto worship" because Shinto was a "community- and family-based" religion. Most mark the seasons of the agricultural year and involve offerings being directed to the in thanks. According to a traditional lunar calendar, Shinto shrines should hold their festival celebrations on or "clear" days", the days of the new, full, and half moons. Other days, known as , were generally avoided for festivities. However, since the late 20th century, many shrines have held their festival celebrations on the Saturday or Sunday closest to the date so that fewer individuals will be working and will be able to attend. Each town or village often has its own festival, centred on a local shrine. For instance, the Aoi Matsuri festival, held on 15 May to pray for an abundant grain harvest, takes place at shrines in Kyoto, while the Chichibu Yo-Matsuri takes place on 2–3 December in Chichibu. Spring festivals are called and often incorporate prayers for a good harvest. They sometimes involve ceremonies, in which rice is ritually planted. Summer festivals are termed and are usually focused on protecting the crops against pests and other threats. Autumn festivals are known as and primarily focus on thanking the for the rice or other harvest. The , or festival of new rice, is held across many Shinto shrines on 23 November. The emperor also conducts a ceremony to mark this festival, at which he presents the first fruits of the harvest to the at midnight. Winter festivals, called often feature on welcoming in the spring, expelling evil, and calling in good influences for the future. There is little difference between winter festivals and specific new year festivals. The season of the new year is called . On the last day of the year (31 December), , practitioners usually clean their household shrines in preparation for New Year's Day (1 January), . Many people visit public shrines to celebrate new year; this "first visit" of the year is known as or . There, they buy amulets and talismans to bring them good fortune over the coming year. To celebrate this festival, many Japanese put up rope known as