Journal # 20

The New Year is the one of the happiest occasions for three reasons. We call the New Year’s Day “Oshougatsu.” We can spend time with our families the first three days of Oshougatsu. In Japan, we have special things at that time ; Otoshidama, Osechiryouri, and Hatsumoude. I like those three special occasions very much.
First, for children, Oshougatsu is very happy time because we can get money from adults as a celebration for a New Year. We usually go to our relatives to greet and say “Happy New Year.”, so we can get a lot of money from them. Though I do not know that adults like this traditional custom or not. But i love it because I am still the side of people can get money because I am still a student. I think to give money to children is also happy thing because children look very happy and excited. I like to see it very much.

Second, we have special food called Osechiryouri for Oshougatsu. Usually we make it the New Year’s Eve. We stew many kinds of vegetables, fishes, and seafood. And pack them in the box called Zyuubako with kamaboko(steamed fish paste), and sashimi (sliced raw fishes). Originally, it is made for that women can relax and take a rest without any cooking on Oshougatsu, so Osechiryouri will keep for about a week. I like to cook it and eat it!! They are very delicious.

Finally, the most interesting thing is to pay a visit to a shrine on New Year’s Day. It is called “Hatsumoude.” I like this function very much. I am not a believer in Buddhism, but I visit a shrine every year to pray for our happiness, health and something for me. It is very fun to go there in a traditional costume. I can feel Japanese tradition very much at this time. We usually draw a fortune slip and tell our new year’s fortune with it. If we got bad one, we tie it to the tree to make it up. If we got good one, we could keep it as a good luck charm. It is my biggest event on Oshougatsu.

In conclusion, I like The New Year very much even better than The Christmas because I can spend time with my family and eat delicious special foods and get money (I can get it only one more time though). I like Japanese tradition, but it is difficult to feel it in ordinary life. However I can feel it at that time with Otoshidama, Osechiryouri and Hatsumoude. I am always looking forward to the next New Year Day even the day after New Year’s Day. I love this occasion so much!!

Those are Japanese traditional costumes

"Kimono"