All About Japanese New 12 months: Celebrating Shōgatsu Authentically

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Each nation celebrates with their very own enjoyable traditions on New Years. In the US, individuals collect in Occasions Sq. to see the ball drop, or they set off fireworks of their neighborhoods. Brazilians hit the seashore wearing white. In Denmark, individuals leap into the New 12 months by leaping off their chairs at midnight to keep away from dangerous luck! And Japan has their very own New 12 months’s traditions too.

The Japanese New 12 months is named shōgatsu or oshōgatsu. Consuming scrumptious meals, visiting shrines and temples, and watching the solar rise on the brand new yr are all among the many many traditions Japan passionately observes. For those who’re hoping to ring within the New 12 months in Japan, ensure to enroll in a Rosetta Stone subscription so you possibly can talk properly needs in Japanese!

When is Japanese New 12 months?

The Japanese New 12 months follows the Gregorian calendar, like a lot of the world does, so shōgatsu falls on January 1st with December thirty first thought of New 12 months’s Eve. Nevertheless, the festivities prolong to January third in Japan, so all three days are public holidays!

Collectively, the times are known as sanganichi. Japanese households collect, go to family members, and revel in their days off over the whole span of the Japanese New 12 months vacation.

Earlier than 1873, Japan sometimes celebrated the brand new yr in line with the lunar calendar, just like the Chinese language. However once they adopted the Gregorian calendar of the western hemisphere, they shifted their celebrations to January 1-3.

>> Does Japan rejoice Lunar New 12 months? Discover out right here!

How does Japan rejoice New Years?

New Years in Japan is filled with occasions each enjoyable and ceremonial alike. Youngsters obtain otoshidama (items of cash in pink and white envelopes) from grownup members of the family. Colourful kites are flown in a sport referred to as takoage, and a card sport referred to as karuta can be well-liked. 

Whereas the US watches occasions like “Dick Clark’s New 12 months’s Rockin’ Eve,” Japan has “NHK Kouhaku Uta Gassen.” Kouhaku (which means pink and white) is a music contest held on New 12 months’s Eve and folks tune in to look at the competitors as a well-liked New Years custom in Japan.

Have you ever seen a coloration theme? Purple and white are vital colours in Japanese tradition and you will discover them in all places—particularly round New Years. White is taken into account a sacred coloration, and pink is believed to scare evil spirits away. On condition that shōgatsu is a very powerful vacation in Japan, these colours function prominently in decorations, meals, and clothes.

Japanese individuals have a number of New Years traditions which you can study and take part if you happen to’re touring right here over the vacations. They may be useful to know when you’ve got buddies who invite you to a standard celebration wherever you reside, too.

Clearing out the previous

Similar to you would possibly take part in annual spring cleansing, Japanese individuals begin the brand new yr contemporary by cleansing the home over the previous couple of days of the yr. Often called ōsōji (massive cleansing), the whole family comes collectively to deep clear the house. This explicit cleansing additionally focuses on areas of the house that will not be frequently cleaned, like partitions and home windows.

Historically, cleansing the home at shōgatsu serves to purify the house to welcome the Shinto deity of the New 12 months: Toshigami. This god is claimed to go to properties within the New 12 months to bestow well being and good luck for the yr forward. The entrance door can be adorned with shimekazari, that are decorations manufactured from straw ropes, to welcome the deity.

Becoming a member of in hatsumode

Households make time to go to a number of of the sacred shrines or temples throughout the three days that commemorate a brand new yr. You’ll hear this observe referred to as hatsumode. These visits have roots within the Shinto faith to honor toshigami (年神, yr god).

Typically the shrines are overwhelmed with crowds on January 1st, so that you would possibly plan to go on the 2nd or third. Whereas there, you’ll want to purchase good luck fortunes referred to as omikuji. If the fortune isn’t good, then be sure that to tie it onto a tree on the shrine to maintain the dangerous luck from following you house!

Greeting the dawn on New Years

Hatsuhinode (first dawn) is strictly because the identify implies: being awake simply as daybreak breaks on January 1st to welcome the New 12 months. This Japanese custom dates again a whole bunch of years in the past when it was customary for all Japanese individuals to wish to the goddess of the solar, Amaterasu, on the primary day of the yr.

Japanese individuals usually greet the primary dawn at house, well-known landmarks, and picturesque landscapes. Mount Takao and Mount Fuji are two well-liked locations to rejoice the New 12 months dawn, although it’s more difficult to climb them within the winter. For those who’re wanting to hitch in, you possibly can have a look at heading to Tokyo Tower, which has restricted occupancy, however the views from the highest on any day are breathtaking.

Ringing the Joya-no-Kane bell

On the night of December thirty first, bells ring throughout the whole nation of Japan. The Joya-no-Kane is a ritual held at Buddhist temples the place a big bell is rung 107 occasions on New 12 months’s Eve after which as soon as at midnight to ring 108 occasions in complete. 

This quantity is tied to the 108 worldly wishes warned in opposition to in Buddhist teachings. By ringing the bell for each, it’s believed that individuals are cleansed from the issues of the earlier yr to start out anew.

Todaiji Temple in Nara and Chion’in in Kyoto are well-known places to look at Joya-no-Kane as a result of sheer measurement of the bells used. The bell at Chion’in weighs over 70 tons and takes 17 monks working collectively to ring! Visiting these to hitch in New 12 months’s traditions in Japan will go away you with resounding reminiscences.

Visiting the Imperial Palace

Do you know Japan has a royal household? They reside within the Imperial Palace in Tokyo, and on New 12 months’s Eve, the grounds of the Imperial Palace are partially opened to the general public. The emperor and different members of the imperial household will make appearances all through the day, too.

For those who attend, you possibly can signal the greeting e book accessible outdoors the Imperial Family Company constructing. Remember that you’ll have to undergo safety and cameras aren’t allowed, however the expertise is really distinctive and a memorable factor to do in Japan at New Years. You’ll wish to ensure you’re properly versed on Japanese honorifics earlier than you go!

Japanese New 12 months meals to attempt

What’s a vacation with out conventional meals to go together with it? Meals performs a particular function within the Japanese New 12 months, every dish filled with taste and symbolism. Conventional Japanese meals is an expertise by itself, however at New Years, you’ll discover much more which means behind what you eat.

Toshikoshi soba

Nearly all of Japanese individuals eat soba (noodles manufactured from buckwheat) on New 12 months’s Eve. The significance of the noodles being soba is extra vital than how they’re ready, however this hearty dish may be served heat or chilly. 

The Japanese tradition associates many traits and beliefs to sure meals, and soba is not any exception. Buckwheat is a hardy plant, which promotes resilience. Noodles are usually lengthy, and are subsequently a logo of longevity. They break simply if you chunk them, simply because the troubles of the previous are damaged off as the brand new yr begins.

Mochi soup (ozōni)

Whereas preparation varies by area, all ozōni consists of soup and mochi (rice cake). The Kanto area (Tokyo space) favors a transparent miso soup flavored with a bonito-based inventory. The Kansai area (Kyoto space) prefers a white miso soup and a konbu-based inventory. Non-compulsory toppings for this conventional Japanese New 12 months meals vary from leafy greens to mushrooms to seafood. 

Consuming ozōni may be one thing of a problem for the uninitiated as a result of heat of the soup which makes the already-sticky mochi much more stretchy. When you have the prospect to attempt it your self, be sure that to take small bites.

Mochi has lengthy been a staple of New 12 months celebrations. Kagamimochi (mirror rice truffles) may be seen in New 12 months’s shows throughout the nation. Watching the method of constructing mochi (mochitsuki, or “mochi-pounding”) is a time-honored New 12 months’s custom that you just’ll actually get pleasure from.

Osechi

Osechi ryōri is the centerpiece of the New 12 months’s culinary traditions. It refers to all New 12 months meals, together with the 2 above, however the time period significantly calls to thoughts the meals in superbly organized bentō containers. You’ll see all kinds of meals divied up in small parts inside a two- or three-tiered lacquered bentō field. Every dish has its personal symbolic which means, and the pink and white theme comes again in lots of them.

Widespread fundamental dishes embody:

• Pickled carrots and daikon (kōhaku namasu)
• Simmered greens (nishime)
• Candy rolled omelet (datemaki)
• Konbu rolls (konbumaki)
• Candied chestnut and candy potato mash (kuri kinton)
• Purple and white fish truffles (kōhaku kamaboko)
• Pounded burdock root (tataki gobō)
• Candied sardines (tazukuri)
• Herring roe (kazunoko)
• Black soybeans (kuromame)

How do you say ‘Pleased New 12 months’ in Japanese?

The expression you employ is dependent upon which day you might be wishing one other individual a cheerful New 12 months. It is because the phrases maintain totally different cultural meanings earlier than and after the New 12 months vacation. 

In case you are expressing your properly needs within the final days of the yr, use these statements for tips on how to say Pleased New 12 months in Japanese. 

These may very well be used when greeting neighbors or coworkers, particularly at a bōnenkai (neglect the yr occasion). The primary phrase particularly is vital, because it expresses gratitude to your relationship with the opposite individual. It sounds unusual to the ears of a local English speaker, nevertheless it’s an vital cultural sentiment you’ll wish to get proper.

As soon as the brand new yr begins, the phrases change.

For those who solely keep in mind one expression for the brand new yr, pay attention to the primary one! It’s the most versatile and acceptable for whomever you might be speaking to. The third expression is a mirrored image of the primary expression within the earlier desk: you might be hoping your relationship will proceed to be good.

In different contexts, you may even see oshōgatsu as a substitute of shōgatsu. They’ve the identical which means, however the distinction is a matter of politeness. The prefix “o-” denotes a degree of respect to the phrase and makes the speaker sound barely extra formal. For instance, in eating places, that is typically added to the phrase sushi to make osushi. Each are acceptable, however lean towards oshōgatsu if you’re making an attempt to be additional well mannered.

>> Be taught extra in regards to the Japanese alphabets!

Discover Japan with Rosetta Stone

Able to rejoice the New 12 months? From having fun with hatsuhinode (first dawn) to feasting on osechi, there are such a lot of traditions to sit up for on Japanese New 12 months—one among many Japanese holidays price attending to know. And whilst you plan to hitch within the festivities, don’t neglect that the Rosetta Stone app is the proper strategy to study Japanese rapidly! You’ll begin with the alphabet and writing techniques, and rapidly progress to have nice pronunciation of primary phrases and phrases!