Shogatsu, or
Oshogatsu, that is, the Japanese New Year, starts on the 1st of
January and continues till the 3rd. Shogatsu is a very important
Japanese holiday. As the New Year unfolds, wish all your
Japanese friends a happy and prosperous New Year.
In ancient times, the Japanese New Year was based on the same
Chinese calendar as the Chinese, Korean and Vietnamese New Year
(at the beginning of spring). Since 1873, Japan has followed the
same months as the Gregorian calendar, so January 1st is the
official New Year's Day for Japan. It is one of the most
important festivals of the whole year. The Japanese New Year is
a traditional festival which has been celebrated for centuries
and has its own unique customs.
January
1 is a very auspicious day, best started by viewing the new year's first
sunrise (hatsu-hinode), and traditionally believed to be representative
for the whole year that has just commenced. Therefore, the day is
supposed be full of joy and free of stress and anger, while everything
should be clean and no work should be done.
It is a tradition to visit a shrine or temple during shogatsu (hatsumode).
The most popular temples and shrines, such as Tokyo's Meiji Shrine,
attract several million people during the three days.
For the Japanese, Oshogatsu (New Year; literally, "new month"), is the
most important celebration of the year, a festive occasion with good
feelings and nostalgia. The Japanese New Year's celebrations evolved out
of rituals associated with the changes of season, which are of utmost
importance in Japanese farming. The New Year's events are widely
celebrated and enjoyed in Japan, beginning on New Year's eve with the
tradition of striking the joya no kane (end-of-the-year bell) from
nearby Buddhist temples. The tolls represent the leaving behind of 108
bonno, or worldly concerns of the old year, which, according to Buddhist
belief, torment mankind. During this ceremony, each toll is struck after
the reverberations from the preceding toll have dissipated. The last
peal of the bell is struck at midnight, coinciding with the first few
seconds of the New Year; thus a new beginning dawns, enabling the start
of a prosperous and joyous year.
