How to celebrate the new year in Japan project. How is the New Year celebrated in Japan? Divination by New Year's dreams

Japanese New Year, which the locals call "O-shogatsu", belongs to the category of the largest and most spectacular state festivities. In the Land of the Rising Sun, this celebration is on a par with such big holidays as Japan's Foundation Day and the Emperor's Birthday!

The Japanese celebrate the New Year at the same time as the majority of the world's population, that is, on January 1 according to the Gregorian chronology. However, they do it in a completely different way than Europeans or Americans, because this nation is famous for its reverence for traditions and monoculturalism. Let's find out the most Interesting Facts about how the New Year is celebrated in the country of cherry blossoms!

The Japanese "O-shogatsu" is public holiday

history of the holiday

Japan switched to the Gregorian calendar in 1873, five years after the Meiji Restoration. From that moment, the New Year began to be celebrated on January 1 of each year. Until that moment, the Japanese lived according to ancient Chinese lunar calendar, like all countries of the Asian region, and glorified the arrival of the new year in the same period as the inhabitants of the Middle Kingdom, Thailand or Malaysia.

The population of the Land of the Rising Sun simply loves this holiday! It once lasted throughout January, but in the current economic conditions, when corporations cannot afford such a long downtime, the government decided to shorten the holidays a little - New Year's celebrations now take place from December 28 to January 4, which is also, in general , quite well.

They prepare for the holiday ahead of time - the preparation lasts for several months, so every city or settlement on the days of the celebration is simply unrecognizable. During the holidays, no one works and no one plans any important business. During this period, the country accounts for most of the vacations due to employees, and all government and commercial organizations are sent on vacation.

After preparing for the New Year, the area becomes unrecognizable!

On the eve of the New Year, the Japanese are sure to repay their debts so as not to be in debt for the next 12 months. In this, their traditions are similar to the beliefs of residents of other countries of the world. However, Japan is a country of strict rituals that have not bypassed the New Year, which has affected the emergence of many original and interesting customs.

Festive totems and talismans

In the first days of December, the country is already in the pre-holiday hype. Fairs, exhibitions and markets are starting to work, where you can buy all kinds of holiday paraphernalia, souvenirs, as well as buy amulets and talismans, without which the Japanese simply cannot imagine life in the new year. Every Japanese must buy:

• hamaimi- arrows with blunt tips and snow-white plumage, which will protect the home from trouble and the machinations of evil spirits;
• takarabune- small ritual boats filled with rice grains with seven gods sitting on it, which help the Japanese achieve happiness and prosperity. These boats and small paintings depicting the gods are placed under the pillow on New Year's Eve to see a dream that predicts the future;
• Daruma- a figurine of a Buddhist god in the form of a small wooden or glued paper doll like a tumbler. The figurines are sold without the image of the eyes - they must be drawn by the owner of the deity. Moreover, one of the eyes must be drawn at the moment when a wish is made, but the second - in case the cherished dream has come true. This happens infrequently, but if it happens, the daruma is given the most prominent place in the house. If the wish does not come true, the figurine is burned before the next holiday;
• kumade, which can be translated as "paw of a bear" - small rakes, which are considered a talisman that brings happiness. That is, the Japanese literally row luck with the help of this paw;
• hagoita may seem like an ordinary shuttlecock racket, but this is a real work of art. Hagoites depict actors from the Japanese Kabuki theater or small sketches from popular plays. Several hagoite, placed side by side, make up bright panels. This is a rather expensive present, which is presented to really significant people.

Daruma - a figurine of a deity that will help with the fulfillment of desires

An interesting fact is that for each purchase made, Japanese sellers give buyers a small figurine in the form of a symbol of the coming year, so that after making the necessary purchases, they accumulate a significant amount.

Preparing the house for the holiday

One of the most important pre-New Year processes for every Japanese is the ritual of preparing the house, which is called "susu harai". The owners do not ignore a single corner - everything must be cleaned before perfect condition. Otherwise, Toshigami, one of the Zionist deities responsible for happiness, will not visit the house, which means that good luck will not be seen in the new year.

After the house is cleaned, the Japanese begin to decorate it. On each side of the front door are installed "kadomatsu" ("pine tree at the entrance"). Kadomatsu is a colorful and intricate ikebana made up of pine branches, bamboo and fern leaves, which are adorned with tangerines, beads and other items, each of which has a symbolic meaning.

Sometimes a shimenawa is placed at the door - a cunningly twisted rope made of rice straw, which is decorated with greens and fruits. In any case, these compositions are designed to provide the owners with a successful, healthy and happy coming year.

The Japanese do not put Christmas trees, but a kind of replacement christmas tree they have. The Japanese version of the New Year tree is called mochibana and looks like a composition with bamboo shoots or willow branches decorated with toys, balls, flower buds and tangerines. The sprigs are also decorated with small rice balls (mochi) dyed in different colors.

Kagami mochi is a traditional symbol of the New Year in Japan.

Koloboks are prepared a lot - on the last day of the holidays, each family member will have to eat as many rice mochi as he has lived for years! In addition, this dish is a must-eat on New Year's Eve. Before the onset of the holiday, every Japanese takes a bath and puts on festive clothes, and children under 12 put on completely new dresses or costumes.

By the way, mochi is also used in home decor - a traditional New Year's decoration is a small pyramid of two flattened koloboks, on which citrus (kagami mochi) is placed. This "Christmas tree" should be put in a place of honor in the home to remind Toshigami of his duties as a good god, because the owners carefully prepared for his meeting!

Congratulatory rituals

Preparing for the holiday is not only cleaning and decorating the house. The Japanese must show respect to almost everyone they know. So, let's talk about congratulatory New Year's rituals.

• Sending greeting cards, which depicts the totem of the new year. This tradition is so significant that young children are taught the art of writing postcards at school. Counts good tone even if there is a printed congratulatory text, ascribe a few words from yourself and put a calligraphic signature to testify special respect to the recipient. As a result, each resident of a large city sends from several dozen to hundreds of postcards! They begin to write 7-14 days before the holiday, but in style they should look like they were written on New Year's Day. If suddenly the congratulations were delayed, you need to have time to send the mail at least until January 7, but already attributing the words of apology. There is only one exception that exempts the Japanese from the ritual of sending postcards - death. loved one. However, the fact that this time the family is grieving and it is not up to congratulations must be notified in advance;
• Celebration at work. It's no secret that the Japanese live so much with work that they are reluctant to even go on vacation. Before the New Year, every Japanese company organizes a "bonenkai" - a party in honor of the farewell to the old year, where colleagues congratulate each other. The evening is held in one of the restaurants, and only on this day of the year all boundaries are erased between top management and ordinary employees. Even if the tipsy worker behaved not quite respectfully, this will never be remembered to him;
• Presentation of gifts. They are handed out on the eve of the New Year. Moreover, younger family members, employees or students congratulate older relatives, bosses and teachers with “o-seibo” gifts. It is not customary to personally congratulate the authorities - the present is ordered in advance in the store and the delivery time is agreed. The price of such a gift is strictly determined according to the position occupied. Gifts called "otoshidama", which can be translated as "treasure of the year", are given by representatives of the older generation of relatives to younger family members. An otoshidama is a beautiful envelope in which money is placed. But older relatives or people occupying the same position in society usually don’t give each other anything.

New Year's table

The New Year's table in Japan is laid according to centuries-old traditions.

The New Year's meal, at which all members of the family gather on December 31, is called omisoki. The Japanese New Year's table is not a place where random dishes can meet. Everything is subject to strict rituals and rules. On the table must be present:

• thin noodles made from buckwheat flour, symbolizing long life;
• dish including fish, vegetables and chicken eggs, called "jubako", helping a person become more perfect, more purposeful and providing peace of mind;
• mochi, that is, the already mentioned rice balls or slightly flattened lush cakes;
• salted herring caviar, cooked with a dressing of broth and soy sauce, bringing happiness to the family and giving parents healthy offspring;
• slightly sweet boiled beans, providing a healthy and long life;
• specially prepared seaweed, symbolizing joy;
• roasted chestnuts, providing good luck in any endeavors in the new year.

New Year's dishes are served in a four-tiered lacquer box. Moreover, for our taste, they may not seem too virtuoso, but for the Japanese it is not just food, but a system of philosophical teachings thought out for centuries. In addition, the Japanese serve the table so elegantly, decorate it with flowers and beautiful utensils, that the food looks simply delicious.

Before eating, on New Year's Eve it is customary to drink not simple sake, but a special ceremonial otoso, prepared on the basis of medicinal herbs according to an ancient recipe borrowed from the Chinese.

On New Year's Eve, the Japanese drink ceremonial otoso.

The process of eating itself takes place in a decorous atmosphere - songs, toasts and loud screams are not at all welcome. At the meal, you need to immerse yourself in yourself, remember the past year, and think about plans for the future. After eating, the reading of congratulations from the received cards begins, which is kept in strict account. And if it suddenly happens that fewer postcards were received than they should have come, the Japanese feel deep disappointment.

Holiday ceremonies

After the festive feast, the inhabitants of the Land of the Rising Sun go to temples. Moreover, many Japanese adhere to several religions at once, so the first stop is a Buddhist temple, where you need to say prayers, thank the deities for their kindness, and then, so that the flock is not forgotten in the new year, strike the ceremonial bell.

The main annual farewell ritual of Buddhists is bell ringing the largest bell, which can only be set in motion with the help of a huge log. The bell is struck 108 times, announcing that old year came to an end.

The number 108 was not chosen by chance. Buddhists believe that every person can be possessed by greed, malice, stupidity, indecision, greed and frivolity, and each of these sins has 18 different manifestations, that is, the whole of humanity overcomes 108 destructive passions. Each strike of the bell banishes one of them.

Japanese people visit temples on New Year's Eve

The next stop is the temples of the Zionists. Here the Japanese are present at the ritual of setting fire to the dry roots of Japanese chrysanthemums, from which the priests light ritual lanterns. From this blessed fire, every inhabitant of the country sets fire to a rope of straw, and then carries it home so that a new fire appears in the apartment. It helps to bring good luck and good health.

After that, the Japanese begin to have fun, sing and dance, not forgetting to treat themselves to sake. However, it is not customary to walk all night here - you need to go to bed early to get up with the first rays of the sun. In the morning, you need to perform a ritual of clapping your hands, since meeting the first dawn is very important. After that, the population of the country goes to prayer in the temple to bring gifts in the form of coins.

This is the day on which you can turn to the deities, so everyone gets wooden tablets on which they make requests. In response, the Japanese want to know the near future, for which they buy pieces of paper with forecasts of fate. Upon returning to the house, one should take a bath with the help of "young" water, drink green tea with pickled plums and eat ritual dishes.

On the first day of the New Year, one should pay respect to acquaintances and bestow gifts as best as possible. large quantity loved ones!

The next part of the day is devoted to visits - they don’t stay at a party, but only express congratulations or even leave business cards on a special tray to pay their respects. Starting from January 2, all kinds of New Year competitions, contests and competitions are held in Japan. For example, the following activities can be distinguished:

• school students demonstrate their skills in the art of calligraphy;
• art lovers compete for a prize given for knowledge of national poetry;
• among boys there is a competition for the best kite;
• girls compete in the game of shuttlecock;
• large-scale snow and ice festivals are organized in the northern parts of the country, in which the most eminent artists sculpt characters from Japanese plays and historical figures, and architects equip entire cities and castles;
• The older population prefers to play Sugoroku, a board game that involves moving pieces by throwing dice.

Holidays end with the farewell ceremony for Toshigami. The Japanese kindle huge fires in which they burn new Year decoration to banish evil forces.

In Japan, Christmas decorations are burned in ceremonial bonfires.

Japanese Santa Claus

In Japanese culture, there is a character that can be compared to the usual Santa Claus. Only here he bears the name Segatsu-san and is dressed not in a caftan or fur coat, but in a light blue kimono. Throughout the week before the New Year, Segasu-san visits apartments, houses and even company offices to bring holiday greetings to everyone.

However, he does not present presents, so Japanese children are more waiting for the arrival of Oji-san, that is, Santa Claus. This fairy-tale character appeared in the Land of the Rising Sun just a couple of decades ago, but managed to fall in love with the kids. Still would! After all, Oji-san always brings long-awaited gifts with him.

There are only a few days left before the New Year. Everyone is already looking forward to the holiday and the New Year holidays.

As for us, the New Year in Japan is the most important calendar holiday. As I wrote earlier in my notes on the Japanese New Year, many rituals and ceremonies are associated with the New Year in Japan. I wrote about some of them in my note "". Today I decided to talk about something that was not in the previous notes.

Each coming year, both here and in Japan, and I think in all countries, is traditionally regarded as a new start, new opportunities, new discoveries. Therefore, all responsibilities for the outgoing year must be completed by the end of the year.

During December, 忘年会 "bonenkai" is held everywhere in Japan, which can be translated as "seeing off the outgoing year", which are held with the aim of leaving all the worries and troubles of the old year behind. Bonenkai is very reminiscent of Russian corporate parties in December. They are necessarily held at every Japanese company, for which a restaurant is booked in advance. Bonenkai are also organized among friends, interest clubs, etc.

It should be said that despite festive mood, New Year's Eve in Japan is quite troublesome. Homes and businesses need to carry out general cleaning. When I worked in Tokyo, one of the last working days (December 27 or 28) was mandatory for all employees to do a big cleaning in the offices. Housewives did general cleaning in houses and apartments. That is, everyone cleaned everything out, threw out the trash, sorted out unnecessary things, got rid of unnecessary papers in the office, etc. However, this tradition is similar to our country and others, where it is also recommended to clear your house of rubbish before the New Year.

On December 31, that is, in fact, on New Year's Eve, the Japanese serve 年越しそば "toshikoshi soba" (buckwheat noodles), symbolizing longevity, on the table. I myself had to eat this gray noodles several times on December 31 in the company of the Japanese.

As I already wrote in last year's notes, the custom of visiting the temple in the first days of the new year is especially zealously observed by all Japanese. It's called "hatsumode". The whole family goes to the temple either on January 1, or on January 2 or 3. Usually they choose either a temple adjacent to the house, or a temple especially revered in the city where they live. In the temple, you need to make a small donation, pray, purchase amulets for the coming year.

One of the most popular temples in Tokyo is the Meiji Shrine in the Harajuku area. Several million people spend the first 3 days of the new year at Meiji Shrine. Most impressive is the hatsumode at the actual beginning of the year, when the big temple bells ring at midnight.

But, perhaps, the most interesting and fun begins after returning home from the temple. First, everyone usually sits on festive table, where they gladly accept New Year's treats - o-seti ryori. Having rested after a sleepless night (if they did not go to bed), the Japanese begin traditional entertainment.

Most lucky Japanese kids. They get the traditional new year gift- envelopes with money, which are called お年玉 "o-toshidama", which can be translated as "New Year's treasure". By the way, in the first years of my stay in Japan, some Japanese families that I managed to visit at the beginning of the new year on winter holidays also gave me o-toshidama, apparently, they considered me still a child in their country, since I was still nothing not understanding gaijin :) I was very pleased to receive such an envelope with Japanese yens!

On the first New Year's days, children play traditional games. The girls play 羽根突き "hanetsuki", a game similar to badminton. Rackets in this game are made of wood and decorated on one side with drawings. The boys go to the open space and run kites- 凧揚げ "takoage".

Well, adults play their games, for example, dice or cards. Moreover, they usually take sake 酒 rice wine during the game, most often heated, which is called 熱燗 "atsukan". Also, one of the favorite activities of the Japanese in the first days of January is the analysis and reading of the kippah. New Year's cards年賀状 "nengajo".

IN Lately traditional entertainment is gradually being replaced by modern ones. For example, like ours, collective viewing New Year's shows and TV concerts. There are concerts with modern J-pop music, they are more for young people. And for older Japanese, concerts are recorded with old Japanese songs 演歌 "enka" (such as ballads).

When the Japanese go out into the street, when they meet neighbors and acquaintances, they bow and say the words あけましておめでとうございます "akemashite omedo: gozaimasu", which means "Happy New Year!".

By the way, it is not customary for the Japanese to visit guests on New Year's holidays. New Year is considered exclusively family holiday that brings together people of different generations. Therefore, usually adult children living separately from their parents try to come to new year holidays to the house of their parents, and those who already have their own children, respectively, together with their grandchildren.

After the New Year holidays are over and employees of firms return to work, the echoes of the New Year celebrations will continue throughout January. Companies are again holding corporate parties, but now dedicated to the coming New Year. These are called new year parties新年会 "shinnenkai".

In my Tokyo company, both bonenkai and shinenkai were always held, and the latter often went to other cities. For example, once we went to Nagano Prefecture, Karuizawa with an overnight stay to celebrate the New Year there.

I wish all my readers and students a Happy New Year. Before the New Year in Japan, it is customary to say and write in letters よいお年をお迎えください! (Yoi o-toshi o omukae kudasai), which can be translated as "I wish you a good new year!"

And add 皆様にとりまして、幸多き年になりますよう心よりお祈り申し上げます! (Mina sami ni torimashite ko:ki toshi ni narimasu yo:kokoro yori o-inori mo:shi agemasu), which roughly translates as "From the bottom of my heart, I wish everyone a very happy New Year!" or as an option "I pray for all with all my heart" (a more literal translation).

So, you got acquainted with the traditions of celebrating the New Year in Japan. I hope you were interested. Write comments and questions.

10.12.2016

New Year's holidays in the countries of the East have their own characteristics. Despite the fact that the culture of the West gradually penetrates into all spheres of life in the Eastern states, many of them keep their customs and follow them. How is New Year celebrated in Japan? Let's turn to the traditions of celebrating the New Year in Japan and see if the changes that have taken place are so great.

History of New Year's Eve in Japan

A little over a century ago, the New Year in the Land of the Rising Sun was celebrated in accordance with the Chinese lunar calendar - that is, at the beginning of spring. It symbolized the birth of a new life, the beginning new era. After the end of the Meiji period (after 1911), the Japanese switched to the generally accepted calendar in Europe, and from now on, January 1 became the date of the meeting with the coming year.

On the first day of the “renewed” New Year, it was customary for the Japanese to go to the mountains and greet the dawn by clapping their hands. Some continue this tradition to this day. The date change did not affect the ancient customs: many of them did not disappear anywhere, but continue to successfully exist in the “new regime”.

Modern Japanese New Year

January 1st is a public holiday in modern Japan. But the inhabitants of the island state decided not to stop there: they start the celebration on December 29, and end by January 3. If you are going to New Year's Japan, do not plan any business these days: most likely, government offices will be closed. A lot of Japanese, being avid workaholics, still take vacations these days.

On the eve of the holiday, the Japanese clean the house, freeing it from all unnecessary. Then peculiar bouquets of bamboo sticks and willow branches are placed in the house. They need to be decorated with rice flour cakes, which are made in the form of various figures of fish, birds and animals. The figurines symbolize happiness, many have their own special meaning.

The process of “ennoblement” of the dwelling does not end there. At the entrance to the house, the Japanese install kadomatsu - an interesting pine decoration. Tangerines, fern leaves, small berries, even shrimps - that's what you can find on this New Year's piece of furniture. All of them are designed to decorate it, and at the same time bring more happiness to the house.

The Japanese sacredly observe the tradition of getting rid of temptations. At midnight, the bell sounds 108 times. Each blow symbolizes some next temptation or sin. After listening to all 108 beats, the Japanese are cleansed of sins and enter into new life pure, with good intentions. Often, for the period of celebration, the inhabitants of the Land of the Rising Sun tend to leave for their native places, visit the temples in which they have prayed since childhood.

New Year's table in Japan

In fact, sushi, which we are used to today as the most famous Japanese dish, usually does not appear on the New Year's table: they are not considered festive food.

Instead of sushi, the Japanese set up an osechi table. This is the common name for a whole string of dishes intended to be eaten during the celebration of a solemn date. Here we will see boiled seaweed, fish pies, mochi - round breads.

Almost every dish symbolizes something. For example, carp means strength and vivacity. Eating beans - for a happy life, and buckwheat noodles - for longevity. Mochi cakes are often hung on a pine tree decoration near the house. You can eat them after the holidays.

On the table you can see a lotus root cut in the shape of a cross, a sign symbolizing the wheel of life. For entertainment and health promotion, the Japanese drink rice wine with herbs on New Year's Eve.

Japanese New Year Traditions

The inhabitants of the Land of the Rising Sun are in no hurry to part with their habits, formed over many hundreds of years of relatively solitary existence. However, some of their customs are similar to ours. So, on holidays, the Japanese are in a hurry to congratulate relatives and friends by sending them a beautifully designed postcard (nengadze).

It flaunts the sign of the coming year, taken from Chinese calendar. Many people prefer to write congratulations by hand, sometimes even fountain pens. This custom is so revered that in the primary grades of the school, children are specially taught the ability to correctly draw up such a congratulation.

During the celebration of the New Year, it is customary to play hanetsuki (playing shuttlecock), uta-garuta (New Year cards with hyakunin isshu verses) and sugoroku ( table game in bones), fly a kite. Japanese exchange modest gifts- most often in amounts of money in envelopes or items of symbolic value.

It is considered a very good sign to receive a rake as a gift - it is convenient to rake in good luck and happiness for the whole next year. Moreover, the size of the tool can vary from 10 cm to 1.5 m! Not bad if you are presented with a hamaimi - an arrow with a blunt end. All year she will protect the house from troubles.

Many Japanese are adherents of Shintoism. By morning, they head to the temple to light their fire - okera mairi - from the temple one and take it home. The sacred fire will drive away any representatives of evil forces.

Santa Claus in Japan

The Japanese analogue of our Santa Claus is Segatsu San. Dressed in a green or blue kimono, he goes from house to house, and for a whole week, and congratulates everyone. True, Segatsu San does not give gifts to children - parents do.

Perhaps that is why he recently had a "younger" competitor - Oji Sun. The children are waiting for him on New Year's Eve: Oji San generously gives them everything they want. This "boy" looks more like an American Santa Claus than a resident of Japan. Well - time does not stand still, civilizations are approaching!

Japan is a land of wonders and contrasts. We will never understand the Japanese: the real mystery is how they manage, borrowing everything new and progressive, to remain an original nation and sacredly keep ancient traditions for centuries? Yes, you can't understand Japan with your mind, you can't measure it with a common arshin... We can get a little closer to the Japanese only by participating in their lives. Well - for the New Year - to Japan?

There are only a few days left before the New Year. Everyone has already dressed up Christmas trees, bought gifts and think over holiday menu. On the eve of the New Year, I decided to once again talk about some of the traditions of celebrating the New Year in Japan.

New Year in Japan is one of the most important calendar holidays. A wide variety of rituals, games and ceremonies are associated with the New Year holidays. Today I will tell you about some of them.

First, a brief historical background. Until 1873, the Japanese celebrated the New Year, or as it is called in Japanese お正月 (o-shogatsu) in the Chinese lunar calendar, around the beginning of spring. But 5 years after the Meiji Restoration, in 1868, Japan switched to the Gregorian calendar and began to celebrate the New Year on January 1st.

Festive events begin around December 28-29 of the outgoing year and usually last until January 4 of the New Year. These days, most companies, organizations, and some shops go on New Year's winter holidays and do not work.

Around the middle of December, everyone makes a list of those people and companies that need to send Greeting Cards年賀状 (nengajo). Postcards are sent to relatives, friends, clients, employees.

As a rule, one of the animals of the coming year according to the eastern calendar is depicted on the postcard as a symbol of the New Year. This time it's a monkey. Therefore, at the end of this year, photos of Japanese macaques are often used on the Internet, photos where monkeys bask in hot springs are especially popular.

Each family can collect about 100 postcards, if not more. I love the nengajo mailing tradition, so I also try to make themed postcards every year. For example, this year we have collected more than 70 postcards only for students and partners.

You can make postcards yourself, draw and sign something. It can be issued in special editors on a computer. You can buy ready-made postcards at the post office.

In Japan these days the mail is very busy, because if the postcard says 年賀状 ( New Year's greetings), then the Japanese postal service will definitely deliver the postcard to the addressee on January 1.

To cope with such a heavy workload during the New Year holidays, the Japanese postal service is recruiting additional temporary employees, most often students.

I already wrote earlier that a special treat お節料理 (o-sechi ryori) is being prepared for the festive table in Japan. Therefore, today I will focus more on the main decoration of the New Year's table in Japan - 餅 (mochi) rice cakes.

Mochi is made from boiled glutinous rice. The grain is poured into large wooden mortars and ground for a long time with a large wooden hammer. This is a traditional New Year's holiday custom. Many companies, schools, organizations organize a similar event, which in Japanese is called 餅つき (mochitsuki).

From the resulting mass, which resembles a sticky stretching dough, then cakes are molded, which are served at the festive table. From two cakes they make a pyramid, decorated with an orange on top - called 鏡餅 (kagami-mochi). Kagami-mochi is presented either at the home altar or at the altar of a Shinto shrine.

When I worked in Tokyo, our company also always held mochitsuki in the company yard in December on one of the last working days before the winter holidays. It was considered a great honor to beat the "dough" with a hammer. Many students also took part in the mochitsuki along with the staff. Then we all sculpted rice cakes together and without waiting for January 1, we immediately tried them :)

In December of the outgoing year, students of the Japanese language school MERIC Japanese Language School took part in mochitsuki in their area along with the Japanese. Now the students know exactly what it is to cook their own mochi. From the outside it seems that it's easier than ever to beat with a hammer, but in fact everything is not so simple. But judging by the photos, they turned out to be quite fun :)

Since ancient times, the Japanese have considered New Year's Eve the starting point of a new life. Therefore, the Japanese celebrate a lot of what happens on New Year's Eve with the word "first".

Since the Japanese are quite superstitious people and they have many different signs, but one of the first important signs is the first dream 初夢 (hatsuyume). Although many Japanese, on the contrary, do not go to bed until the first sunrise 初日 (hatsuhi). They consider it very important for well-being in the new year to see the first sunrise on January 1st.

Most often I went to Russia to visit relatives to celebrate the New Year. Therefore, there were not so many purely Japanese New Year's Eve during my stay in Japan. But one of the New Year's Eve spent in Tokyo, I remember very well. Then my friend and I celebrated the New Year on the island of O-daiba and set ourselves the goal of meeting the first sunrise. We endured and saw the first sun of Hatsuha! Below is a photo from that New Year's Eve :)

In addition, there are many more "first actions" among the Japanese, such as the first laugh 笑い初め (waraizome), the first letter received 初便り (hatsudayori), the first calligraphy 書初め (kakizome), the first tea ceremony 初釜 (hatsugama), the first completed work 仕事始め (shigoto hajime), first sale of a product 初売り (hatsuuri), first purchase 初買い (hatsugai) and so on.

In addition, special adherents of the tradition are required to compose the first haiku on New Year's morning and include one of the above terms in it.

But perhaps the most important custom, which is obligatory observed by almost all Japanese without exception at the beginning of the new year, is the first visit to the temple 初詣 (hatsumode) or 初参 (hatsumairi).

After the temple bells have rung for the new year, the Japanese family goes to a Shinto or Buddhist temple. It may be the closest temple to the house, or it may be the most revered in the city. But in the latter, huge crowds of people usually gather.

In the temple, it is necessary to make a donation and pray, and many also purchase various amulets for the coming year. Most often, the Japanese visit temples from January 1 to 3 usually.

I visited temples several times in the first days of the new year. And I saw what a huge pandemonium sometimes happens, especially on January 1st. And since I don’t really like large crowds of people, after the first such experience, in other years, when I was in Japan, I tried to go to the temple a little later, for example. January 3, when the largest influx of people wishing to pray for well-being in the new year was already subsiding.

Most often at the temple, I purchased お守り (o-mamori) charms, with different themes, depending on what I wanted the most to fulfill in the coming year. Although I acquired one of the amulets every year - for health and protection from accidents.

After visiting the temple, the Japanese sit down at the festive table, children are given envelopes with money お年玉 (o-toshidama), which translates as New Year's treasure. On this day, boys can fly kites 凧揚げ (takoage) and girls play 羽根突き (hanetsuki), a game similar to badminton. Rackets for this game are made from wooden boards and they are called 羽子板 (hagoita). On the one hand, they are decorated with a pattern.

Although the hagoita is a racket for playing hanetsuki, it has become more of a health talisman lately. The Japanese also believe that hagoita brings good luck and is a talisman against all troubles. It is customary to give hagoita for the New Year. Foreigners often buy hagoita as a souvenir from Japan.

In December of the outgoing year, students of the Japanese language school of the Intercultural Institute of Japan made a hagoita with their own hands, drew their favorite drawings on it and wrote their favorite hieroglyphs. Here they already have one Japanese souvenir ready for memory :)

It is not customary for the Japanese to visit friends and acquaintances on New Year's holidays. They consider the New Year to be a purely family holiday, uniting relatives of different generations. Therefore, only relatives usually gather during the winter New Year holidays. Children living in other regions come to their father's house and spend time with the older generation.

I congratulate all my readers, current and future students, all lovers of Japanese culture on the upcoming holidays! Happiness, health, success and fulfillment of your plans in the New Year!

New Year in Japan is called O-shogatsu. This is the most beloved and brightest holiday, and the New Year holidays, which last from December 28 to January 4, are days of rest for absolutely everyone. At this time, almost all business life in the country stops. There were times when O-shogatsu was celebrated according to the lunar calendar, but from the end of the 19th century, the Japanese began to celebrate this holiday according to the generally accepted Gregorian calendar.

Japan is a country rich in diverse, interesting customs and traditions. This is very noticeable in the celebration of the New Year. Prepare for the holiday long before it comes. Numerous New Year's fairs are held on the streets of Japanese cities, where everything is sold - from souvenirs and clothes to ritual items. For example, Hamaimi. These are blunt arrows with white plumage, protecting the house from troubles and evil forces. Or Takarabune. This is the name of the boats with rice and other "treasures", on which the seven gods of luck sit. The talisman for happiness - kumade (translated as "bear paw") is very popular. It resembles a rake made from bamboo. This little thing is supposed to "rake in" happiness. With each purchase, store visitors are presented with a traditional animal figurine as a gift - a symbol of the coming year.

It is impossible not to talk about the traditional detail of the decoration of the Japanese home before the New Year, the so-called kadomatsu, which means "pine at the entrance." Kadomatsu is a greeting to the Deity new year holiday, as a rule, is made of pine, bamboo, rope woven from rice straw, decorated with fern branches, tangerines, or a bunch of seaweed and dried shrimp. Each of the details of this decoration is symbolic.

According to an ancient tradition, the Japanese decorate the house for the New Year with bouquets of willow or bamboo branches with Mochi hanging on them in the form of flowers, fish, fruits. These ornaments, called mochibanas, are painted yellow, green, or pink colors, are attached in a conspicuous place or hang from the ceiling at the entrance, so that the deity of the New Year - Toshigami, “entering the house”, immediately proceeds to his “duties”, namely, takes care of the hospitable hosts in the coming year.

The arrival of the New Year at midnight from December 31 to January 1 has been announced for more than a millennium 108 bells that are heard at midnight from Buddhist temples. According to the Buddhist religion, a person is burdened with six basic vices: greed, greed, anger, stupidity, frivolity and indecision. Each vice has 18 shades. And every stroke of the bell on New Year's Eve frees the Japanese from one of these misfortunes.

With the last blow, the Japanese go to bed, in order to get up before dawn, and meet the coming year with the first rays of the sun. It is believed that it is at these moments that the seven gods of happiness sail to Japan on their magical ship.

It is also of great importance family christmas dinner, which is started in the evening on the eve of the New Year. Dinner is quiet and decorous without noisy conversations and drinking songs. Nothing should distract from thoughts about the future.

The morning of January 1 begins for every resident of Japan with congratulations reading(nengadze) and scrupulous verification of the correspondence between the list of sent cards and the list of received ones. If there are inconsistencies, then the missing congratulations are immediately sent, delivered to the addressee in the coming days. In the afternoon, it is customary for the Japanese to visit. By the way, according to custom, in this country it is not customary to come to visit without warning the hosts in advance. However, it happens that a person simply leaves his business card on a tray specially set up for this purpose.

The Japanese give each other "oseibo"- traditional uncomplicated Gift Baskets. It can be jars of canned food, pieces of fragrant toilet soap. And of course, other necessary Everyday life things. According to historians, this tradition originated in the Middle Ages, when the samurai at the end of December certainly exchanged offerings that strictly corresponded to their position in the feudal hierarchy. Japanese children to this day believe that their dream will come true if on New Year's Eve they put a drawing depicting a “dream” under their pillow. You can offend a Japanese if you give him flowers for the New Year. It is believed that only members of the imperial family have the right to give flowers. A Japanese will not take a flower from a mere mortal.