New Year (shogatsu or oshogatsu) is considered the most important holiday in Japan. Most businesses shut down from January 1 to January 3, and families typically gather to spend the days together.
Years are traditionally viewed as completely separate, with each new year providing a fresh start. Consequently, all duties are supposed to be completed by the end of the year, while bonenkai parties ("year forgetting parties") are held with the purpose of leaving the old year's worries and troubles behind.
Homes and entrance gates are decorated with ornaments made of pine, bamboo and plum trees, and clothes and houses are cleaned.
On New Year's eve, toshikoshi soba (buckwheat noodles), symbolizing longevity, are served. A more recent custom is watching the music show "kohaku uta gassen", a highly popular television program featuring many of Japan's most famous J-pop and enka singers in spectacular performances.
January 1 is a very auspicious day, best started by viewing the new year's first sunrise (hatsu-hinode), and traditionally believed to be representative for the whole year that has just commenced. Therefore, the day is supposed be full of joy and free of stress and anger, while everything should be clean and no work should be done.
It is a tradition to visit a shrine or temple during shogatsu (hatsumode). The most popular temples and shrines, such as Tokyo's Meiji Shrine, attract several million people during the three days. Most impressive are such visits at the actual turn of the year, when large temple bells are rung at midnight.
Various kinds of special dishes are served during shogatsu. They include osechi ryori, otoso (sweetened rice wine) and ozoni (a soup with mochi).
There are also a few games traditionally played on New Year, however, their popularity has decreased in recent times. Hanetsuki (Japanese badminton), takoage (kite flying), and karuta (a card game) are some of them.
A very popular custom is the sending of New Year's cards, which are specially marked to be delivered on January 1. It is not uncommon for one person to send out several dozens of cards to friends, relatives and co-workers.
Several stores will also give out New Years gift bags filled with lots of fun toys for kids to have. The businesses but in up to $200 of merchandise in these bags.
A New Year means a transition in the animals of the Japanese zodiac calendar. Like the Western Zodiac, the Japanese Zodiac is rooted in astronomy, cosmology, and divination. It’s based on the belief that people born within the same time period tend to share certain personality traits and is deeply embedded in Japanese culture. The key difference between the Western Zodiac and the Japanese Zodiac is the Japanese Zodiac has a twelve-year cycle and each year of the cycle is represented by an animal sign. The Western Zodiac follows a twelve month cycle with each period being assigned an astrological sign.
The Japanese Zodiac was originally introduced from China during the sixth century and spread among the general public during the Edo period (1600–1868 AD). Even today, every single Japanese person knows the animal sign of the year in which he or she was born. Proof that the Japanese Zodiac is still maintaining its influence in modern day Japan can be seen by Japanese people sending New Year’s greeting cards featuring the animal of the coming year.
Each animal in the Japanese Zodiac is not only associated with a year and month, but also represents a two-hour period of the day (24 hours divided by 12 animals). For instance, 2 a.m to 2.30 a.m is called “ushi-mitsu-doki (the third quarter of ox hours)”, people in ancient Japan believed that it was the time for devils. The animals of the hour you were born in are called secret animals, and they are considered your true self.
Animals included are:
Rat
Ox
Tiger
Rabbit
Dragon
Snake
Horse
Sheep
Monkey
Rooster
Dog
Boar
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