2022
New Year is the most important event for Japanese. Even Japanese culture that does not stop working is closed most of the company in the week before and after. Most of them spend time with their families. Greetings with neighbors and friends, but they do not schedule each other. Why is it the most important day?
Japanese believe that the future will change drastically with a milestone
Milestone is called "節目 fushime" in Japanese. Beyond the milestone, it is believed that my future will change. They think that things that were not good turns smoothly, or smooth turns bad. Therefore, various preparations are needed for the New Year, so take cultural holidays.
Hatsumode🙏
"初詣 Hatsu-mode" is the first visit to the shrine in New Year⛩.
We naturally visit the shrine and arrange our minds so that the changing future will not get worse🙏.
( Osaki Hachiman-gu Shrine Sendai, Miyagi, Japan)
There is Reborn 's thought in Japan. They think that 2018 will die and 2019 will be born again. When the New Year comes, a new god "歳徳神 Toshi-gami(God of year)" is born, so visit to see God at the shrine👸.
When We first meet a new god, God will remember us. Because the God of Japan is very kind and serviceable, it supports people who are familiar👸👍.
Omikuji🔖
Many people draw a "おみくじ Omikuji (fortune-telling)". There are several types of Omikuji results.
- "大吉 Dai-kichi" is the most luck😆.
- "中吉 Chu-kichi" is ordinary luck😃.
- "小吉 Sho-kichi" is slightly weak luck😊.
- "末吉 Sue-kichi" is weak luck😐.
- ”凶 Kyo” is bad luck😯.
- "大凶 Dai-kyo" is Very bad luck😱.
Everyone would like to attract "1. Dai-kichi". But in fact, your luck will get better for any Omikuji result😃.
Why is luck getting better?🤔
If you draw "1. Dai-kichi", you will gain momentum with success experience😍. However, the carelessness increases😝. If you draw "6. Dai-kyo", you will be disappointed😰. However, you will care about things carefully for a year🤔.
Shinto teaches us that "everything depends on your way of thinking" through Omikuji.
By the way I drew "4. Sue-kichi" in 2018 and 2019. It was a great lucky year invited to Connect Live 2018!😆
There are Food stands in Omotesando
”表参道 Omote-sando” is the main street of the shrine. There are lots of Food stands lined up there🍡🍺🍵🍢🍦
This is a Tohoku distinctive rice dumplings called "Basho dango"🍡.
"Fried noodles"🍝
"Takoyaki"🐙
"Tama-Konnyaku" of Tohoku specialties🍢
And it is "甘酒 Ama-zake (Sweet sake)" extracted from sake cake. There is no alcohol. As for sweet sake, the shrine is injecting the power of God🍶.
They go home when they are full. A busy Japanese will rest your body only during the New Year🛌.
How does your country spend the New Year? How important is?
[DEEP JAPAN] Worships the first sunrise in Japan's Happy New Year🌅
[DEEP JAPAN] Did you know "Shinto"?
It's really nice that every Omikuji result is viewed positively. The food looks really good, and your photos and video are great. I love how the video was edited.
@YasumiKikuchi Thank you for sharing yet another Japanese tradition related to New Year's, I wish you and every Japanese Local Guide a very lucky year!
Another fascinating look into Japanese culture and tradition! Are there always food stands outside the temples??? A wonderful way to finish a visit to the shrine!
In the US, we do have some traditions for New Years Day that are about insuring good luck. Most of them have to do with foods to be eaten on Jan 1st to insure good luck.
If you live in the Southern United States, you might eat Ham with Black-eyed Peas, Greens and Cornbread.
This dish is for monetary luck...."peas for pennies, greens for dollars, and cornbread for gold."
I'm originally from Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, US. Our traditional New Years dish was always Pork Roast with Sauerkraut. Many German, Polish and Jewish foods are part of a Pittsburgh New Year.
I spent my New Year's Day with friends that are Italian American. Grapes on the table are something you must have. In Spain and Mexico, eating 12 grapes at midnight as the clock strikes once for each hour will bring you luck for the 12 months ahead.
Beyond the foods we eat, we do have some other traditions like kissing at the stroke of midnight. Some hold the superstition that failing to kiss someone ensures a year of loneliness.
Hi @YasumiKikuchi,
That's an amazing post!
Thank you for explaining in such detail the importance of New Year celebrations in Japan. Many things are new to me. I knew about hatsu-mode and omikuji, but I didn't know that Japanese people visit the shrines to welcome the new god of the year. 🙂
I celebrated once in Tenchi shrine, Kannami, Shizuoka prefecture. We were a group of exchange students, and were responsible for putting up bamboo lanterns. I tried the delicious ama-zake there!
As for the celebrations in Bulgaria, we usually welcome the new year with friends, either at home or outside. Something special that we prepare is a type of pastry dish, called "banitsa", cut into pieces. In each piece we put a piece of paper with a wish for the new year. It is believed that what you get will definitely come true. This year I got "a new car" and "money". Let's see! :))
Right at midnight we dance the traditional dance "horo". We hold hands and form a long line or a circle, and follow a special choreography. The best thing about this dance is that you can hold hands with complete strangers, and nobody minds - everyone is smiling and happy!
