New Year's Eve
Break out the champagne itfs New Yearfs Eve! I would like to take this opportunity to tell you about the New Year period in Japan.
I guess it really all starts with Oseibo. Oseibo is one of the two annual gift giving periods; Oseibo is given in winter and Ochuugen is given in the summer. These gift-giving traditions have been kept for many hundreds of years. The gift is to thank those who have helped you through out the year. For example people who provide business to you, teachers, neighbours etc. The gift can be anything from money, gift-vouchers, packs of beer, towels, chinaware. In general these gifts are usually things that can be used by the whole family, not just the individual that it was given to. The gifts do have one thing in common and that is the way they are labeled; they are given in *an envelope or boxed with a white piece of paper on top that says Oseibo and the name of the giver. Most Japanese companies pay their employees a summer and winter bonus and the Ochuugen and Oseibo gifts are given around this time.
*As a quick sideline it is considered extremely rude to give someone money unwrapped by hand. It must be given in an envelope. When I receive payment for private English lessons it is always given in an envelope and if the student did forget to put the money in an envelope they always apologize profusely. Donft worry if you have made the same mistake, as foreigners we are forgiven to a certain extent.
After Oseibo season has drawn to an end the Bounenkai season starts. Bounenkai are the end of year parties. Friends as well as companies usually have a great get together where eating, drinking and a memorial photo are all set routines. It really is a lot of fun and everyone lets down their hair, especially when itfs a company one and the boss is paying!
With pleasure there is always a certain amount of pain associated right. December brings gifts, if youfre lucky, end of year parties and what we would call spring cleaning. No I havenft gone mad and yes I do realize itfs not spring in Japan in December but here the massive annual cleaning event is carried out in December to signify the end of the old year and welcome in the brand new year. People really go all out with their cleaning. Company buildings are cleaned from top to bottom. Houses are cleaned immaculately. Many housewives go as far as to change all the light fittings to add in new light! Cars do not miss out either they are washed and waxed and decorated as well. A decoration composed of white, round rice cakes, oranges and straw is found in entrance ways of houses and a similar version is also used to decorate the grill of vehicles. These materials all represent longevity as they all last so well.
Omisoka is the Japanese word for New Yearfs Eve. Everything is primed and ready for the oncoming New Year, even the bills have all been paid up so the New Year will start off completely fresh and debt-free. I know itfs not the best timing but I should also point out this time of the year has the highest rate of suicides. (Sorry!)
The two traditions that you will experience on Omisoka is the eating of Toshikoshisoba which are Japanese wheat noodles, again they are long and represent a long life ahead, and also the first visit to a shrine for the year. Many people go to the more famous shrines or alternatively shrines in their neighborhood at midnight to pray for luck in the New Year. For young people it is often their only time to visit a shrine each year. Times are changing.
Today Ifm going out for dinner then on to a shrine to do the above. Good luck for you too in the New Year!
