Japanese New Year Holidays

New Year, especially from January 1st to the 3rd,

those three days are very special in Japan.

 

We celebrate the new year

 by putting a"Shimenawa"(a New Year festoon made of sacred straw ) on the upper part of the entrance ,

going on a "Hatsumode" (visiting shrines to wish for another good year),

drawing "Omikuji" ( a fortune slip ) to see how the year will be

(they are available through out a year as well),

if the slip does not tell a good thing, tying the fortune slip to a tree in precincts of the shrine after reading it,

buying good-luck charms for health, love, business, studying and so on.

 

At home, we usually have special food called "Osechi" (traditional Japanese New Year foods that are usually in special lunch boxes called "Jyubako")

and enjoy our winter vacation with family.

 

New Years are very important parts of Japanese culture.

Its importance is similar to Thanksgiving day and or Christmas in western culture.

 

T.F