New Years in Japan - お正月

明けましておめでとう！

Translation: Happy New Years!

Japan is one of those places where New Years is a very big holiday - both for the Buddhists and Shinto. Seriously. It's such a huge deal here there are many traditions and events that occur just for the coming of the new year! 

Firstly, like most people the love the whole "out with the old and in with the new." Before New Years Japanese people will spend days cleaning their houses. This is both to rid the house from bad luck to bring good luck but also in preparation for annual family gatherings. On New Years Eve, there are tons of television specials to watch! Especially a friendly singing contest between popular celebrities. And these shows go on for the whole holiday - in Japan New Years is like a four day holiday! So either you stay home and watch these or you go out! Sure there are clubs and bars to celebrate with your friends...but most Japanese people go to the shrine or temple. These places are PACKED. At the stroke of midnight, at Buddhist shrines a bell is rung 108 times (to represent the 108 human sins). And people throw money into the prayer boxes and say a prayer for the new years. Then they're given free sake to celebrate!

Oh dear, that's only at midnight. There's so much more! Okay, the first of January. Nothing will be open except the shrines and temple duh. Usually these locations will be packed for everyday of the holiday - people need to pray and get luck for the new year of course! Key things at these places: fortune for the new year, arrow of luck, little charms, and more sake and praying. Won't really go into detail about them but I think they're all really self explanatory. And then theres the food - oh golly its my favorite part!! I think you all may know my attachment to food, but seriously Japanese festival food has to be the best. For real. 

Osechi Ryouri

Next up - postcards. You know how most Western nations have "Christmas Cards", it's along the same lines except that these are for the new years...and it's merely a postcard. Yup. Simple. I like it so much more - so simple! And for most of them the card already has a stamp provided for them so no need to waste more on stamps - although you can get some beautiful ones in Japan. In addition to this, there is a lottery on the postcards (funny right?) there are always numbers on the bottom and seriously..there's a lottery..I don't know how much you get but I you win something...I think...

Like I mentioned before, New Years calls for family gatherings and parties. At these you basically catch up with relatives and eat like the whole day and play games - at least thats what my family does. The food you eat - OKAY. The traditional foods you eat are mainly all in osechi-ryouri...basically tons of seafood like items. Personally not what I like to eat but they have westernized some items so I usually eat all the meatballs and ham items in them. Another major aspect is mochi. Usually, there is the pounding mochi that's very delicious or you can just get mochi like we do...meh taste nearly the same to me. Finally probably the best part is the otoshidama - which is when the older adults give the students money. Yes. Money! Usually for like school needs but oh well it's a great tradition hehe. 

Believe me there is more. Okay. The New Years is a major shopping holiday too. It's a time for stores to get rid of all their old year's products. Sales start on the 2nd and finish until like the 9th. Not only is everything on sale, but there is a special "bag" sale. It's called a "fukubukuro" - stores have a set price for these bags and you don't really know what's in the inside (basically things they couldn't sell). But it is at a pretty shocking price. The best ones are usually the jewelry and make-up ones..well in my opinion. 

Japanese "Fukubukuro"

Since theres so much more here's just a list now...sorry. 

• Beethoven's Ninth Symphony: performed widely throughout Japan...why? Origins date back from WWI...still don't really understand myself. 
• Hatsuhinode: First Sunrise of the Year. People really do wake up for this. 
• Hatsumode: First visit to the shrine/temple, they do the things like I said before. Oh, people also wear traditional kimono if the weather is nice!
• Games: kite flying, top spinning, and a Japanese version of pin the tail on the donkey...but its actually putting together a face...
• Poetry: haikus...rengas.. 
• First Calligraphy - they usually choose a special kanji for the year/last years kanji...

That is basically everything...major...well at least the extent to what I know!! Oh, also it's the year of the Golden Dragon. So, be prepared to see lots of dragon items in Japan.

Happy New Years!

Love, 

ALPHA