New Year's Day
The bells at the temples rang 108 times to ring in the New Year. Apparently the bells are to cover the sins which we committed in the past 52 weeks. (Wefve been busy!)
The New Year period is something that is really looked forward to by all Japanese.
Itfs an important time in which family, from all over the country, take time off from their hectic schedules to gather. As is seen all over the world, in recent times country dwellersf young folk have chosen to relocate to city areas in order to attend university and secure work. So New Yearfs is a time to go back home if you like. Therefore where I live in the city is very quiet for the first few days of January.
New Year Cards
Nengajo or New Year Cards are almost the equivalent to our Christmas greeting cards. When I say ealmostf I mean that New Years Cards here hold a lot more importance. Japanese people have a special greeting term for meeting others for the first time in the New Year, eakemashite omedetou gozaimasu.f The nengajo is the means used to greet others whom they might not meet during the first few days of the year.
At home we may send around 30 Christmas cards, usually to direct family and close friends. Nengajo are sent to the fore mentioned people and in addition cards are also sent out to others who have helped the family throughout the year, and all relatives. So families sending 100-200 New Year Cards are not rare.
You can imagine writing all the cards out can be quite a chore but thanks to modern PCs the hard work has been minimized. Here are two examples of the nengajo I received.
Japan Post
The postal service is really stretched at New Years time. While the rest of the country is relaxing, they are in full swing delivering the never-ending stream of cards. It is considered a little rude if the New Year greetings are received late so the postmen do their best to have the cards delivered on time, and as a person who receives them I can relate to you that it is a pleasure to receive them.
Nengajo are 50 yen postcards that are only on sale at the end of the year. Unused cards will be exchanged by Japan Post for normal post cards if you present them at the counter.
Otoshidama
Children also love New Years time because they receive gifts of money from relatives. The gift of money, otoshidama, differs in value from child to child depending on their age. There is no set standard but in my experience toddlers to kindergarten children may receive 500-1000 yen, elementary school children 2000-3000 yen, junior high school through to university students maybe anywhere in the region of 5000 yen to 10,000 yen per person. Yes, itfs an expensive time of year if you have many young relatives.
Parents may encourage young children to save their new found fortune, but many older siblings will enjoy using their otoshidama at the New Year sales.
Oseichi Ryouri
This is special foods eaten at New Yearfs time. It is eaten with special double-ended chopsticks.
More on this later.
