Shide (monk)

Shide is a part of the traditional costume worn by monks in Japan during certain religious ceremonies. Okay, imagine you're playing dress up and you put on a costume to pretend to be someone else, like a superhero or a princess. Monks also wear special clothes called robes and one part of their outfit is called a shide.

Now, here's the fun part. Shide is like a long, paper streamer that monks attach to a special headband or a stick. It is usually made up of many narrow, vertical strips of paper that hang down in a row. It's kind of like having lots of long and skinny pieces of paper all stuck together.

Now, the monks use the shide to make special movements during their ceremonies. They wave it around, twirl it, and move it in different directions. It's like doing a little dance with the paper streamer. This waving and twirling of the shide is believed to be a way to bring good luck and keep away evil spirits.

Imagine you have a toy with a long ribbon attached to it, and you can move it around to make it fly through the air. Monks do something similar with the shide, but instead of it flying like a toy, they use their hands to make it move gracefully. It's like a special dance just for the shide.

People watching the ceremony also believe that the shide brings blessings and protection. They see the beautiful movements of the paper streamer and it makes them feel happy and peaceful. It's like when you see something that is pretty and it makes you smile.

So, to sum it all up, shide is a long paper streamer that monks wear as part of their costumes. They wave it around during ceremonies to bring good luck and keep away evil spirits. People watching the ceremony feel happy and peaceful seeing the beautiful movements of the shide.