Happy New Year 2014! 新年あけましておめでどうございますHope everyone is enjoying the New Yea’s Day with your loved ones wherever you might be.  Today marks a new beginning. This year, you will have new adventures to enjoy and new people to meet. You will be creating new memories for another 365 days to come!

In Japan, New Year’s is called “Oshogatsu (お正月 )”. It is the biggest holiday in Japan. It is time to celebrate with your family, feeling thankful that we are all here to welcome another year. We have many traditional customs we follow in Japan during the first few days in January.  Let me introduce you to some of them below.

1.Hatsuhinode(初日の出)

Hatsuhinode is the first sunrise of the year. People often drive to the coast or climb a mountain to see the first sunrise of the new year on January 1st.  They celebrate the arrival of the New Year with the rising sun and pray for good health and good luck throughout the year.

2.Hatsumoude (初詣)

Hatsumoude is the first trip to a shrine or temple.  People often visit a shrine after midnight on December 31 or sometime during the day on January 1 or before January 3rd. Women often wear kimono(初詣).  At shrine or temple, they pray for good luck and happiness for their family.

3.Otoshidama(お年玉 )

Otoshidama is a custom where parents give money in a small envelop to their children on January 1st.  It is also common for grandparents to give Otoshidama to their grand children. Children often receive $10 to $50 in each envelop.

 4. Osechiryori(おせち料理)

Osechiryori is a special traditional New Year’s food in Japan. It is beautifully arranged in 4 tier lacquer boxes called Jubako( 重箱). Dishes in the Osechiryori depends on the regions, but the common dishes are kobumaki(昆布巻き)(simmered kombu rolls), kuromame(黒豆) (simmered black soy beans), kurikinton(栗きんとん) (mashed sweet potato with sweet chestnuts), tazukuri(たづくり) (candied dried sardines). Each dish and ingredient in Osechiryori has its own meaning, such as good health, good harvest, happiness, prosperity, and long life.  Traditionally, people often finish preparing Osechiryori by New Year’s Day and cook enough amount so that they don’t have to cook for a couple of days. You can also buy various Osechi dishes at department stores or local grocery stores if you don’t want to prepare yourself.

5. Nengajo(年賀状)

Nengajo is a post card that Japanese people send out for New Years.  It is similar to Christmas cards in the western countries. They often send the New Year post cards to their family, friends, relatives, and co-workers.  Nengajo’s are delivered to each house on January 1st by the post office. Although sending Nengajo is an annual custom, they do not send Nengajo if one has had someone passed away in his/her family during the year. In this case, they would send out a simple postcard called mochu hagaki (喪中葉書, mourning postcards) to inform friends and relatives that they would not send out Nengajo, out of respect for the deceased.

2014 is the year of the horse!  Wishing you a happy and magical New Year!