Japan celebrates New Years more in a way we celebrate Christmas. It's more religious, and a time for family, with lots of food and crazy television programs on (such as Kohaku uta gassen- a show where the most popular singers of the year perform). This year is year of the Rabbit, so people starting in December, send out Happy New Years cards featuring that animal. Another thing that happens is the equivalent of our Spring Cleaning. Everyone scrubs down the house in preparation for the new year.
This is the shinto shrine above me bed. It got new decorations!
Around the house other decorations started to show up too: Usually made out of pine, bamboo or plum trees. This little guy is hanging in my room, and there are a few more around the house too:
On the 31st, everyone traditionally eats soba noodles (buckwheat noodles, a symbol of longevity). And on the first, everyone traditionally eats "Osechi", food which is served in these beautiful lacquered boxes that can be stacked on top of eachother:
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| Image from: http://www.cgcjapan.co.jp/cooking/recipi/2007/images/01-image.jpg |
We ate some today that my host mom prepared along with our actual dinner- My host momma and sister aren't a big fan of osechi- most of the food is 'old-style'(very traditional) and prepared with sweet cooking sake (makes it pretty sweet) so they don't think it tastes very good.
Here's a picture of the Osechi box on the left and also another New Year's decoration: "kagami mochi" aka Mochi balls with an orange on top. (Mochi as I mentioned in an earlier post is traditionally eaten at New Year's too). I guess it symbolizes the coming and going of years? I'm not really sure on this one guys haha.
But yeah, anyway. On New Year's eve, it is tradition to visit a shrine or temple. Some friends and I went to Zojoji Temple, which is at the base of the Tokyo Tower:
Splendid view!
Me on New Years Eve, My friend Ghislaine had given me an Alpaca keychain <3
Zojoji:
A big fire where many prayers and sayings were thrown into it (to send it to the sky for the heavens)
Incense, which you should waft over yourself and head as a kind of cleansing before you go pray.
As the countdown hit 20 minutes, the lights of the Tokyo Tower went out and masses of people gathered around. See the balloons? At Zojoji it's tradition to write a wish, attach it to the balloon, and at midnight, let it go into the sky!
Regardless of the probable negative environmental effects, it was still magical:
Lights appeared on at the Tower again and it sparkled the rest of the night:
Happy New Year's Guys!
At the temple then, the priests begin ringing the temple bell 108 times, symbolizing the Buddhist belief of the 108 sins of man. Thousands of people will line up to pray and over the next 3 days, millions of people will have lined up throughout the country.
After hitting up the temple, my friends and I visited the Meiji Jingu Shrine. Well- it was so crowded and pretty cold, we didn't stay long but- wow how many people were there...
The line stretched on for a whiiiiillleee....
After that I headed home, and (yay New Years) the trains ran all night so I was able to make it home at 4 am. Didn't catch the sunrise, which you're supposed to do for maximum luckiness(I ended up sleeping till 1 pm haha) but I was able to completely chill out at home as you're supposed to.
Over the next few days, people will visit shrines and temples, visit with friends, and SHOP! a whole bunch of department store sales will start (picture Black Friday, except multiplied by the amount of people living in Tokyo) X_X
Anyway- Happy New Years everyone! Hope this year is lucky for you all <3
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