Christmas and New Year

Christmas and New Year are important events for Japanese because almost all Japanese celebrate Christmas and New Year.

When December comes, many shops and houses are decorated to greet Christmas. The illumination is very beautiful. I saw illumination on my way home. There is no special Christmas dinner in Japan. However, I eat cake at Christmas. I like cake very much.

After Christmas, almost all Japanese prepare for New Year. The tolling of temple bells 108 times on New Year’s Eve tells the beginning of New Year. Most Japanese eat Zoni and Osechi Ryouri on New Year's Day. Zoni and Osechi Ryouri are special foods for New Year. I eat Zoni and Osechi Ryouri which my mother cooked. Most Japanese eat rice cake on New Year's Day. Rice cake is put in Zoni. My grandmother pounds steamed rice into rice cake every year. Zoni is a kind of the soup. It is made to celebrate New Year. The wishes of Japanese for the New year are included in Osechi Ryouri. For example, herring-roe and taro are put in Osechi Ryouri in order to wish for prosperity of descendants. Shrimp is put in Osechi Ryouri in order to wish for a long life. Black soybeans are put in Osechi Ryouri in order to wish for health. The foods which are put in Osechi Ryouri have meaning. Also, most Japanese go and worship at a shrine on New Year's Day because they pray for prosperity and health in the New Year. I go at shrine on New Year's Day. New Year’s cards are a very important thing to exchange New Year’s greetings, so most Japanese send them to relatives and friends and acquaintances. Most children get money at New Year. This is New Year’s gift. This is the happiest thing for children. Generally, most Japanese relax at their house on New Year’s Day, and the next day they gather with relatives and exchange New Year’s greetings. This is the tradition of New Year’s Day.

New Year and Christmas are very important events for Japanese.

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