New Year Activities

What to do on New Year's

1. Hang the shimewara outside the front door (replacing the Christmas wreath). This straw decoration traditionally contains a dried persimmon, an orange, greenery and some kind of fan or paper with lucky motifs. We also decorate the desktops with omochi, an orange, persimmon and greenery.



2. Visit the family tombs and pray at family butsudan altar.



3. Go to the local shrines for good luck.(see shrines)



4. Wear new clothes.



5. Eat specialty dishes and hot ozoni soup with gooey omochi in it.



6. Drink sweet sake with the family.



7. Visit family and enjoy a day off, reading postcards and watching the annual marathons on TV. Children receive otoshidama money envelopes from special acquaintances and relatives.


8. If you can brave the crowds, Jan. 1-2 have become crazy sale days for malls and department stores - a huge year end clearance madness. They sell "surprise bags" for huge discounts. You don't know what you are buying but it's a great way to get gifts. The value of the contents far exceeds the sale price.

We placed the large rounds of omochi from the other day on a piece of rice paper, with the greenery, a tangerine orange mikan, and a dried kaki persimmon from the fall.
We visit the family tomb and light incense, placing fresh flowers and some treats at the site. The cold foods, specialities for this holiday, are called osetchi-dori. Everything is prepared ahead of time and placed in stacking boxes so that the women can have a day off from cooking meals. They work ten times as hard all week in order to have this day free!