New Year Decorations in Japan

Shimenawa

When my kids saw a shimenawa decoration hanging down at the front of a car, I thought the car and the owner of it were very cool.

Though I often see many ones which are decorated at the top of a door, I can hardly see it recently. but the owner still keeps the custom, and I was impressed with the mind.

We have some things for a New Year, shimenawa, kadomatsu and kagami mochi.
Shimenawa is a decoration to the upper of a front door, Kadomatsu is at the entrance of a door and Kagami mochi is put the inside house, mostly in front of the family Buddhist altar.

Old type of Shimenawa

Kadomatsu

Kagami mochi, rice cake

Kagamimi mochi, or rice cake is cut slice after a fer day display, and we can deep-fry and roast it to cook rice crackers.


　When are the new year's decorations set?

After the Christmas, we should decorate them by December 28, because we have to avoid 2 days of December 29 and 31.

December 29, we dislike the number of 9, because it makes us image disasters and to be suffered from something.
December 31 is just one day before the new year, which is very rude to the God.


　When and how should we get rid of these decorations?

As for the timing of removal, most districts have to get rid of them by January 7, and most of New Year decorations are fired at a shrine in the festival named "Donto yaki" on January 15.
While we see the fire go up to the sky, we are praying for our own wishes like for our good health, rich harvest and good works on business. 

I wanted to enjoy the New Year's coming, but we seem to share nothing special with my kids this year too... too bad.
I'd like to talk about New Year's decorations and enjoy "Donto yaki" with them, ahaha.



                                                                             



子供がつい数日前、しめ縄を飾っている車を見て、珍しいなあって言ったのを聞いて、その車が、その車の持ち主の事を何かカッコよく思えました。


家の玄関先に飾っているしめ縄は一杯あるけれど、車に飾る人はすっごく減った中、それを貫き通しているその人に感心しました。


しめ縄っていつ頃飾るのか、どのタイミングで、どのように片付け処理をするのか、ちょっと書いてみました。 


クリスマスが終わってから、29日と31日は飾ってはいけない日なので、28日までに飾る物ですよね。
29は、9がつくので「苦しむ」を連想するので避ける。31日は直前過ぎるので神様に失礼にあたるので避けるということですよね。


取り外すタイミングとしては、ほとんどの地区が1/7までに外し、1/15のどんと焼きで正月飾りを神社で焼いて貰うことにより、神様がお空に上って行くのを見守りながら、1年を健康に無事に生活出来るように、豊作を、仕事が上手く行くようにと…それぞれの新な一年をお祈りをします。 



今年こそ、正月飾りを飾って子どもと楽しもうと思っていたのに、今年も特に何もしないまま終わってしまう…。あかんなあ…。
せめて、正月飾りについてあれこれ話をして、どんと焼きを楽しみたいと思います、あはは。

Tomorrow is the date to eat soba.

My family will eat "Toshikoshi soba", or one of noodles while we watch the very famous singing TV program named "Kohaku utagassen", which lasts from 7:00 pm to 11:45 pm.

In the past, we had routine works by the end of a year like cleaning everywhere in and around the house, cooking rice cake with a stone mills, making osechi dishes, so we had been very busy after the Christmas. However, we quit one after another and we clean the house a little, visit the family grave and cook "Toshikoshi soba".

If we cut off these works, the Japanese traditional customs will be disappeared, but my mother in law also cooks for us and we don't want to eat a lot of same dishes every day...

So I visited my ancestor's grave and cooked black beams today.

明日は、紅白歌合戦を観ながら、年越しそばを食べて2016年が終わるんだろうなあ。

昔は隅から隅まで大掃除をしたり、石臼で餅つきをする日、おせち料理を作る日…と毎日が決まっていて忙しかったけれど、どんどん手抜きをして、今ではかる～く掃除と、お墓詣りと年越しそばだけやっています。

私が手を抜くと、伝統的な日本文化がここで絶たれてしまうと分かっているけれど、姑さんも作ってくれてるし、そんなに同じものばかり食べないしなあ…。

ということで、今日はお墓参りと黒豆だけ作りました。

Today's beautiful sunset♪

  Why do we eat "Toshikoshi soba"?


Toshikoshi soba  is one of noodles, we eat it on the end date of a year.
This is one of Japanese traditional cultures, most of us think we can't end a year without eating it.

This custom has been continued since Edo period in Japan, about 1814.
Soba is so soft that we can cut it with our teeth easily, so people say  if we eat on December 31, we will take off all the misfortune and disasters of this year and wish a new wonderful year.