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Japanese New Year (part 3)
And NOW THE MOST PLEASANT – GIFTS
Interesting articles The first thing that comes to the Japanese mind: clay, paper, drawn, metal, plastic – any images and figures of the corresponding animal from the twelve-year zodiac cycle. In the case of 2006, an image of a dog guarding a house and driving thieves away.
Oddly enough, money comes second in the ritual scale of New Year’s values. Previously, they gave exclusively five-yen coins, since their name – goen – is harmonious with the word denoting strong family ties. But today you can’t buy anything for five yen, and therefore, as a rule, bills in a beautiful white envelope are attached to them. Continue reading
Japanese New Year (part 2)
CAREFULLY PREPARE FOR ANCESTOR MEETING
Interesting articles Over the course of history, in conditions of Japanese cramped conditions, a whole pine tree at the door turned into a bunch of its branches, with the addition of bamboo shoots. They have long been revered for their resistance to winds and ultra-fast growth, that is, those who celebrate again emphasize their desire to find new vital energy. The plum branches symbolizing the arrival of spring also got into the bouquet: the Japanese plum blossoms very early, when new snow can easily fall. We can say that through this plant the nation “learned” about the approach of the New Year and met it with indispensable poetic sessions. Representatives of all classes seated with cups at the roots of the tree and began:
Glitter of snow, purity of the moon, shining stars Continue reading
Japanese New Year (part 1)
Until the distant now, 1873, Japan lived according to the Chinese lunar calendar. The favorite winter holiday of all children and adults was “moving” – each time it was a new day somewhere in late January or in the first half of February. However, the winds of change blew: under pressure from European powers and America, the country finally opened ports for free trade with foreigners. It became obvious that the difference in the time scales causes glaring inconvenience. And then the government voluntarily transferred the country to the solar calculation of days and months. At the same time, it was lost as much as thirty days: after the eleventh the first “moon” of the next year immediately arrived. The officials automatically lost their monthly salary – some were noisy, demanding to be issued nevertheless, but to no avail. Almost a century and a half has passed since then, and the Japanese have long been accustomed to celebrate the New Year at the same time as we, on January 1. Continue reading
