プログレッシブ和英中辞典(第4版)の解説
ひがん【彼岸】
the vernal [autumnal] equinoctial week（▼vernalは春の，autumnalは秋の）
説明
Higan, or the equinoctial week, starts three days before the equinox in both spring and autumn and lasts for 7 days. On the middle day of this week, people visit temples and family graves to pay their respects. They make offerings of ohagi cakes or dango dumplings to Buddha and their ancestors. In Buddhism, higan means“nirvana,”the ideal world of enlightenment on the other shore of the ocean of life and death.（意訳：春分・秋分の日を中日(ちゅうにち)として，前後それぞれ３日を合わせた７日間をいう．彼岸の中日には人々は寺院に参拝し墓参りをする．また，おはぎや団子を作って仏様や先祖に供える．「彼岸」はもともと仏教用語で「生死の海を渡って至る理想・悟りの世界」を指す）
お彼岸には墓参りに行く
I visit our family grave during the equinoctial week.
彼岸の中日
the spring [autumn] equinox
暑さ寒さも彼岸まで
Extremes of temperature last only until the equinox.
彼岸会
Buddhist services performed during the equinoctial week
彼岸桜
a variety of cherry (tree) which blossoms around the time of the vernal equinox
彼岸花
a red spider lily