After some thought, I want to do a more detailed post on Japanese New Year celebrations. In Japan, I have come to realise everything has a purpose or significant meaning. New Years is no different. Every meal and tradition has a symbolic presence for the greeting of the new year.
Mine began with a bowl of noodles, called toshikoshi (‘year-passing’) soba. This dish is often eaten during New Year time, to wish you good luck for the year ahead. The long, thin soba noodles are to symbolise the wish for a long life. Soba noodles are easy to cut, which also symbolises letting go of the hardships from the past year. This tradition is said to date back to the Edo period (1603-1867).
The first morning of 2015 found me eating the traditional New Years breakfast – zoni. Zoni is a soup with a variety of ingredients, including vegetables, wakame seaweed and of course mochi. Mochi is a sticky rice cake. When mochi is added to the soup, it somehow becomes even more stringy and sticky! I found it rather tricky to eat, but absolutely delicious.
Hatsumode, as I’ve mentioned previously, is a large tradition for the first day of the year. It involves families visiting shrines or temples to have their first prayer. To pray at a shrine;
1. Throw some coins into the box. Usually the 5 yen coins are used, as they are lucky.
2. Ring the bell.
3. Bow twice.
4. Clap twice.
5. Pray with your hand together and in front of your chest.
6. Bow once more before leaving.
Next, many Japanese people will buy charms and omikuji (their fortune). Omikuji is almost like a ‘lucky-dip’ and has details on your love life, job opportunities, future health and income for the coming year. However, all Japanese will first look at the general fortune statement. I was fortunate enough to receive dai-kichi (大吉) or ‘best-luck’. However, not everyone can draw ‘good luck’. Those who receive a ‘bad luck’ fortune will tie their omikuji to a tree branch, in order to leave it behind at the temple or shrine. Contrastingly, if you receive a ‘good luck’ fortune, you are meant to keep it close to you. Most Japanese people will store it in their wallet or purse.
The last tradition on New Years that I wish to discuss is otoshidama. Otoshidama is a New Year money gift given to children by family members, usually parents and grandparents. You can almost think of this as ‘pocket money’, which is why children and teenagers are very excited to receive otoshidama at New Years (especially as this is the time for all the shopping sales too!).
Japanese New Years is certainly a traditional event, much different to Western cultures. I was absolutely fascinated by the traditions and symbolisim for each part of the celebration. It just adds to the wonders of this country.
