The highlight of their visit was the New Year's celebration, but not the old Japanese new year that was a sailor's holiday and ruled by the tides, usually taking place sometime in February. This was the usual January 1st celebration we are all familiar with.
Ozonira is a special miso soup with rice cakes in it that is eaten during the week of New Year's. The traidition is that one should eat a rice cake in this soup for each year of one's life. Taro and Shogo don't have much to worry about here, but the older folk can take comfort in the fact that more than one rice cake can be in each bowl of soup.
In the week prior to the actual holiday, the house is cleaned until it is spotless, top to bottom. At the same time the traditional meal is being cooked, enough for three days. The meal is packed into a 'lunchbox' of stacking trays and served over the first three days of the new year so that with the idea that nobody should have to work on those days. Even many of the stores close. Specific symbolic foods are served
to bring about good luck, prosperity, good health, growth, and other good things for the upcoming year. At the stroke of midnight, it is good to eat soba noodles for good luck.
Beginning about an hour befor midnight on New Year's Eve, people gather at the local temple to ring the bell. They stand in line and each ring one time when their turn comes. The tradition is 180 times which represents all the human shortcomings such as anger, jealousy, and on and on. Ringing the bell clears the slate so that people can start out clean for the next year, a renewal.
Then there are bonfires, neighbors greeting neighbors, saki, and genreal celebration. When I asked Mari if there was a parade, she said they are always having parades for something in Japan.
 |
| Osaka Castle |
No comments:
Post a Comment