Seasonal event - New Year -

Although there are various events in Japan, the event which I like also in it is the New Year. the New Year is in January, the period to celebrate is usually three days of the beginning, or one week, and is most important period to Japanese people. First of all, the New Year is the event of the congratulation which hits eye the beginning of the year, greets God which gives a life to us who are called the New Year's deity, and prays that the city is fertile for the whole family's prosperity and a family's health. The custom referred to as eating the dish which it also celebrates among houses today together with all of a family has become common. A rest comes for one to two weeks, many of those who separate with a family and are living go back, and he passes a school and a company together with a family.

In case the New Year comes around, the general cleaning of a house is carried out, one of the New Year decoration made combining the pine and pine branches are put on the front of a gate of a house, and the decoration called meaningful lanyard of a talisman is prepared. Year-crossing noodles are eaten on the night of New Year's Eve, sunrise on New Year's Day is seen, and the New Year comes around. It has Japanese clothes, such as a kimono, on in many cases, and it carries out to the first visit in the year to a shrine to a shrine on the New Year's Day, the health and happiness of the New Year are prayed, and a wish in the New Year is promised to God. It is also one of the pleasure to look over a postcard called the New Year's card which spelled the greeting of the new year which arrived from the friend. However, my looking forward to it, whatever it may call it are eating New Year dishes, such as dishes for the New Year, or getting a New Year's present. Dishes for the New Year are the special dishes eaten at the first three days of the New Year, and the dish of kurikinton, a sea bream and a tangle roll, a dried herring roe, etc. is decorated various, and is very delicious. Moreover, in my parents' home, a tool called a pestle and a mortar is used at a house, and pounding steamed rice is carried out. Then, the attached rice cake is put in into the New Year dish called rice cakes in vegetable soup containing rice cake or vegetables, and is eaten. With the New Year's present, what distributed the rice cake which parents and the relative who visited to the greeting offered on God also as the basis by the thing of the pocket money given to children to intimate persons is called beginning. For children, it could be called pleasure with first getting this.

Although it thinks that there is a some difference with each house, this event with the effect which followed customs from ancient times is very wonderful.

Yumiko

Last updated 6-Dec-2001