中元

プログレッシブ和英中辞典(第4版)

ちゅうげん【中元】

❶〔陰暦７月15日〕the fifteenth day of the seventh month according to the lunar calendar

❷〔贈り物の習慣〕traditional midyear gift-giving

❸〔贈り物〕a midyear gift

説明
Chugen is the mid-summer gift-giving season, and also refers to the gifts themselves. It is the custom in Japan to give gifts to those who have been helpful, and during the first two weeks of July department stores and supermarkets are busy with people who come to shop for suitable presents. Gift certificates, beer, soap, coffee, canned food, cooking oil and confectionary are among the best-selling items.There is one other gift-giving season, called seibo, which comes at the end of the year.（意訳：７月の初めから15日に掛けて，世話になった人に贈り物をする習慣．また，その贈り物を言う．年末の歳暮と併せて，年に２回贈り物をする季節がある．この時期，デパートやスーパーは贈答品を選ぶ人でにぎわう．人気商品は商品券，ビール，石けん，コーヒー，缶詰，食用油，菓子類など）

中元のやりとり
an exchange of midyear [Bon Festival] presents

出典　小学館「プログレッシブ和英中辞典(第4版)」