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Happy new year!
In Japan, January 1 is the most grandly celebrated holiday of the year.
In Japan, January 1 is the most grandly celebrated holiday of the year.
We eat many kinds of food!
The day before, December 31, is called "O-misoka" (New Year's Eve), and on this day, people eat a buckwheat noodle dish called "Toshikoshi-soba" (New Year's Eve Soba). The family then watches the "Kohaku Uta Gassen" (Red and White Singing Contest), an hours-long singing program. In this program, Japan's leading singers perform in white groups for the men and red groups for the women, and after all the performances are over, the audience, viewers, and judges vote to determine the winners. It may sound a little strange to put it this way, but we do it rather peacefully. In addition to New Year's Eve Soba, various other foods are eaten depending on the family and region.
Many people visit shrines on New Year's Day (Gantan, January 1). This is called Hatsumode (New Year's visit). Many Japanese, regardless of religion, visit shrines to express their wishes for the year to the gods. This may be a somewhat unique custom.
Typical foods eaten on New Year's Day are Ozoni and Osechi. Ozoni is a soup of vegetables, meat, fish, etc., with rice cakes in it. Generally, square rice cakes are used in the Kanto region, while round rice cakes are used in the Kansai region. Osechi is served in a lunch box-like container called an oju, which contains a variety of dishes. Each dish has its own meaning. For example, the shrimp dish is one of the most popular, and it is a wish that one will live long until one's waist bends like a shrimp. When I eat black soybeans, octopus, herring roe, fish roe, and datemaki, I feel that it is the New Year. What do you eat for New Year's in your country?
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