 One
of the biggest events every year in Japan is New Year’s Day. This holiday
differs depending on the individual job. It’s at least 5 days and at most
around 2 weeks. It goes on from the end of December to the beginning or
middle of January.
A few days before New Year’s Eve, people are very busy preparing for New Year’s Day. We go shopping to buy a lot of food and decorate our house with rice cakes and oranges. We also write a huge number of New Year’s Cards to keep touch with relatives and friends. In general, people get the cards on January 1, so we should send the cards at least 5 days before New Year’s Day. An interesting point is that most cards come with a lottery number. The TV and newspaper tells us the prize number in the middle of January. Lucky people can get electric products, bicycles, stamps, and other prizes. On New Year’s Eve, we have a lot of food, such as hors d’ oeuvre, meet dishes, sushi, sashimi, sukiyaki, and other foods. Before 12 O’clock midnight, we eat Japanese noodles called soba. Eating this noodle means that you will have a long life because the noodle is generally long and the ingredients of soba are good for your health. After that, many people stay up all night watching special programs on TV, or they go to a temple to pray about the hope of the new year. At temple, they buy a talisman and fortune paper which tells us our fortune for the year. Despite the fact that it’s midnight, there are many people there. We can see many people who wear kimonos at the temple and other place during this time. On New Year’s Day, most shops are closed, so people usually stay home and spend time with their family. We watch special programs on TV, play cards and games, and have a feast called osechi. Osechi is creative and beautiful. We taste it with our eyes first, and then eat. We also eat rice cake soup called zouni. An interesting fact about zouni is the taste of the soup, the shape of  the
rice cake, and ingredients differ depending on a person’s region.
On January 2, people visit relative’s and friend’s houses. This is also a chance for relatives to meet each other or gather once a year. This time is very lucky for children. They get a lot of money from not only their parents, but also relatives and familiar people. We call this gift otoshidama. It means to lose coins or money. I don’t know where this word comes from exactly, but I guess this word is for a person who has to give children some money. It’s a very nice culture for children, but it’s kind of a nuisance for adults. Between January 1 and January 2 in the morning, if we dream while we are sleeping, it has some meanings, and this is called hatsuyume. For example, if any stick, falcon, or eggplant appears in a dream, the year will be a very nice year for that person. New Year’s Day in Japan is very meaningful. Everyone should experience this interesting culture at least once. |