Joie de Vivre Magazine: Holidays and Celebrations: Do You Celebrate Japanese New Year?

Sunday, January 1, 2023

Holidays and Celebrations: Do You Celebrate Japanese New Year?

The beauty of the United States of America is in its diversity. People of different ethic groups and/or nationalities celebrate holidays and traditions that other groups are not even aware of. But it's cool when I find out about them. For example, I had a lot of Chinese friends so I learned to check every year to determine when Chinese New Year would occur. My Japanese friends never mentioned their new year celebration. But now I think I know why.

The Japanese New Year (正月, Shōgatsu) is an annual festival with its own customs. Since 1873, the official Japanese New Year has been celebrated according to the Gregorian calendar, on January 1 of each year, New Year's Day (元日, Ganjitsu). However, some traditional events of the Japanese New Year are partially celebrated on the first day of the year on the modern Tenpō calendar, the last official lunisolar calendar which was used until 1872 in Japan. (Source: Wikipedia)

It's January 1st, same day as America's New Year. However, the traditions are different. In case you didn't know, Japanese New Year is the most important holiday in Japan. Did you know the kadomatsu (image below) is a traditional decoration for the new year holiday?

Other customs and traditions include bell-ringing in the Buddhist temples on New Year's Eve, sending postcards (just like sending Christmas cards), children receiving gifts of money from adults, and various forms of entertainment and of course ... great food!!

I subscribe to a newsletter called "Just One Cookbook". The publisher shares easy Japanese recipes. In the newsletter I received for the week ending December 4, 2020, she shared lots of information in order for you to prepare for Japanese New Year!