January 1st is the beginning of the New Year holidays. Japanese make OSECHI dishes for New Years. We put them in OJYU a Japanese square container like a lunch box.
They are 2 or 3 tiers in the beautiful box. We usually eat foods with various meaning. For examples,we eat sweet black soybeans. Bean in Japanese is MAME. MAME means health.So people eat and hope the black beans will bring health in the coming year. In
addition,we make soup with vegetables, fish and rice cakes. The name is ZONI. Traditionaly Japanese people ate rice cake after they putting them on their household Shinto alter. It represents that we have been given God’s power.
Traditinaly, many women wore KIMONOs during New Year holidays, but recently that tradition is disappering. Many people go to Shinto shrine for worship during New Year holidays. We can see some people wearing KIMONOs there. People take out money for a money offering. It’s called SAISEN. Then pray for their happiness, health and so on. A Daruma doll or a New Year's exorcising arrow(called HAMAYA) are sold. Many people also buy it for good luck.
Many relatives come and we also go to their homes to celebrate together. Adults give money to children for a New Year's presents it’s called OTOSIDAMA. In the old days, we played with kites, tops or HANETUKI it’s like a badminton. But lately children like video games so they spend OTOSIDAMA on toys. I don’t give my children video games. And last year my father and my grandfather past away. So my family enjyoyed HANAGARUTA a Japanese picture card game this year.
I hope everyone will be happy this year!
*The pictures were taken by Kirsten during New Years celebrations in Chiba in Jan. 2006.
