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.
6 comments:
I have never seen some of OSECHI dishes in Chiba. I know they are very different depend on the area. And it is very interesting that there are many variations in each family even in the same area, isn't it?
oh really?? I heard that the dishes were different in every region, but I didn't think they would be that different! It is interesting that there are so many variations! When I ask my JHS students if they like osechi foods, they usually say no. Do you think there will be different osechi foods in the future, or will traditional new years foods always stay the same?
A lot of young people don't like traditional OSETHI dishes like as you foreigners. SO ,recently, there are so many "western" style OSECHI foods. But I think basic meaning and some main foods will never be lost.
I really like a lot of Osechi dishes!! When I was home for the holidays I went to the Japanese grocery store and bought many osechi foods to share with my family. When I ate osechi in Chiba, I didn't like the dish with small fish and the fish eggs. But I never like those foods. All the other osechi dishes, I really enjoyed! I hope that Japan keeps the tradition!!
Wow, I think it's very interesting that the foods have meanings. I didn't know "mame" meant luck, though my mom usually prepared them and "sake" for us every New years for the same reason probably. We usually had a very western style osechi meal though with sausage, sushi and tempura.
I don`t know if it is coincidence but I already heard this story from a very good friend of mine. She told me this during my farewell date with her at one corner in a coffee shop of Meibundo, a bookstore in Nyuzen.It is not the story that surprised me but the author...S. Tobita, who happened to be the same initial and surname of my friend. To the author, if you are Shigeyo Tobita of Nyuzen Town, this is Adhel who always remember you and keep you as one of my treasured friend.
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