New Year's visit to a shrine, Hatumoude "初詣”

Hi, I DO hope you are having wonderful start of 2016☆☆☆

*New Year's visit to a shrine, Hatumoude "初詣”*

Yesterday, on 1st. we had a sudden guests and had unexpected busy day with them.  So this morning on 2nd, we visited a shrine. We pray for the peace and health for the year.  I hope you can see an atmosphere through my picture for our new year custom♪

Long queue to wait during  "the first three days" of the year.

We have special way to call these 3 days "三が日. sannga-nichi"

    This year happens to be "the year of monkey" according to Chinese Zodiac Sign.

おみくじ. Omikuji (also referred to as Mikuji) are Sacred Lots drawn at temples or shrines to tell our fortune.  If your written oracle "fortune" said that you would have unlucky year, you'll tie it like the picture below.

Mine was a middle luck :-)

Thank you SO much for your kind visits;

Ceramics exhibition of the greeting New Year;

Early last week, I've been to the "Ceramics exhibition of the greeting New Year" held at the long-established Department Store in my city.  The works of  Ceramic Artist Ms. Hirano this time were featured the color "Vermilion" or "Yellowish Red".  The color is used for the gate way or the bridge at the shrine and the temple in Japan as it's considered a sacred color. I posted about it here.

Originally, the word "brightness" came from the color of the "Sun" (Vermilion "朱色、shu-iro”, yellowish red). And believed  that the color vermilion prevent disaster from happening and have the power against alchemy. And this color is used for the ink of our seal as you can see in the link of my post. 

I wished to make her works bigger; she approved to be in my blog♪ 

• Left side is for the New Year's Sake;  
• Right side is Earthenware Mortar, they are spouted for pouring after seasoned. 

I've bought the two bowls for *Year-Crossing Soba-Noodles*, the ones you can see in the picture above. my husband was happy to see them♪

Thank you very much for stopping by;

  According to the Oriental Zodiac, next year is the year of 'sheep'.

We have 12 animals blocks in the sign and you can read your characteristics analysis from this page.  May interesting:-) 

It happened that I was born in the sheep year. Means you can guess how old I will be (12×5) haha. When you become 60 years old, we call the year of the person "kanreki. 還暦"   Which can be considered "sixty first" calendar year.  '還' has the meaning of return.

As  it is connected to the idea of rebirth, we celebrate this special year with family. Makes me feel "Time Flies' (^^;)  Here is the long explanation page for each different festive year.

These are the new year cards from picture page; I've already sent them writing a little note and about 80 cards all together with my husband's. Nowadays, many young people do this greeting through mobile-phone or PC, setting that the message will be reached at the new year day. 

   They are the sheep I was given when I visited New Zealand with a Group;

Oh, you have us in the Oriental Zodiac,. aren't we CUTE ♪

        *This goat is from this June at our city park's animal festival*

She or he is the closest picture I have for this topic and wished to link to "Saturday's critters" and  "Nature Notes"

My late mother used to tell me I had an experience having goat's milk when baby. Seeing this adorable animal first time then, I had a little close feeling :-)

Thanks for featuring me again;

*Straw Festoon or New Year Wreath*

And these are the 'shimekazari. しめ飾り' I bought for the front and back door.  Normally, we decorate them around 28th; avoiding 29th as 9 is the number with the same pronunciation with 'suffer' in Japanese.

            

Thank you very much for visiting♪

Japanese New Year tradition part 2

Hatuhinode(the first sun rise) picture from here

A Happy New Year everyone!
I DO wish you all start wonderful year 2013☆☆☆

*New year flower arrangement*

This is the new year flower arrangement I did last year end. We decorate them inside of the front door or Tokonoma (alcove). So sorry for arranging my own way, "haha I've never learned" and poor picture, , p;)

*Shimekazari "しめ飾り"* 

On the porch of the entrance door of the almost all the house, these shimekazari is decorated. (rather cute and gorgeous, haha) form this page.  It has the same role as the shimenawa from the Shinto shrines - to keep the bad spirits away as well as welcoming God. You can read more detail from this page.

*Year-Crossing Soba-Noodles 

We have a custom eating year-crossing soba-noodles 「年越し蕎麦」 for new year's eve dinner.  For most Japanese families, having this soba-noodle with family member quietly at home means to greet a happy next year. There are several theories for how this custom started like the link explains, but the most popular one would be "wishing to have a thin long happy life" year-crossing noodles ←(link) 

(Commonly, Soba-noodle not Udon-noodle. Mine doesn't look tasty but home-made soup is yummy, hehe) 

    My Kake-Soba (with soup type and different from the one in my soba link) 
(cooked beef, mushroom and processed-fish and so on are on top)

*Osechi (New Year Dish)
Osechi-ryōri (御節料理 or お節料理) are traditional Japanese New Year Dish. The food are put into special boxes called jūbako (重箱). There are various BEAUTIFUL ones. Although pictures (from pc) are rather gorgeous than my late Mom's old-day's home-made one, I DO remember my Mom making these dish and helping her; enjoyed nibbling while cooked, haha. And after she passed away, my late bro bought rather expensive one and brought to us with father and ate all together.    Oh, how I reminisce these days...

So sorry for my long post today and I know my old friends are already familiar with this topic(^^;)  Thank you very much for reading♡♡♡  Visiting you after come back from the shrine.

New Year card (year-end new year tradition part1)

*Another disappearing tradition?*

As I posted last year, I'd like to introduce you some of our year-end and new-year traditions. We normally send new year's cards not Christmas cards we exchange. Mainly to the relatives and friends and colleagues and so on. According to the Oriental Zodiac, next year is the year of the snake. So you can see the Chinese Character "巳" describing snake in the first card below. TV news is announcing that many young people do this greeting through mobile-phone or PC, setting that the message will be reached at the new year day. My husband calls himself "analog person" and doesn't even buy these printed ones. It sure was a big job this year as well. However, the idea through technology doesn't come to my mind, hehe.

pics are  from this page

According to the characteristics analysis from this page, you can see in what year you were born and check yours.  By the by, I was born in the sheep year, p;)

Anyway, it says that people who were born in the year of snake are " deep thinkers, speak very little and possess tremendous wisdom. They are fortunate in money matters and will always be able to obtain it. They are determined in what they do and hate to fail."

Whum, my late brother was born in snake year and close to this; expect money matters, haha.

Hatumoude & Otoshidama (year end & new year tradition part3)

New Year's visit to a shrine (Hatumoude)

We visit shrine on the first, second, or third day of the year to wish for the peace and health of the year. And new omamori (charms or amulets) are bought, and the old ones are returned to the shrine so they can be burned. I bought some for us.
(you might notice from my pictures that ladies no longer wear kimono like we used to do during this season, my mom used to spruce up wearing them and I learned how to wear it from her)

*To the loacal shrine (you can see the long line and hubby)

getting closer to the main shrine

You can see the other pictures at shrine from pc here

(the little girl on the left wearing kimono)

There are some kinds of stalls (buns shaped like fish stuffed with sweet beans, candies, etc)   We gave the candy next-neighbour's kids with New Year's gift money

*New Year's gift money for kids 
Otoshidama is a Japanese custom in which adult give children money over the New Year's holiday when people visit neighbors, and relatives between January 1-3. 
Bills are folded into three sections and put into small envelopes like these, then handed to the children of close friends as well.
Usually kids are really looking forward to getting some spending money. Sure was happy and exciting new year days when young,

Oshougatu (1st~3rd) is the most festive and family gathering season in Japan.
New Year  is always busy for me (or every housewife in Japan); making dishes and entertaining （? p;) guests and so on.

I hope you all had the joyous beginning of new 2012, friends♪♪♪

A Happy New Year (year end and new year tradition)

Wishing all of you a Happy and Prosperous New Year from Japan

*Shimekazari
We decorate outside of the entrances of our houses with "shimekazari" about 10days "before year-end and new-year" to ward off evil spirits,  I thought it is kind of similar to the western Christmas Wreath. (pictures frrom pc)

*New year flower arrangement

This is the new year flower arrangement I did. We decorate them inside of the front door or Tokonoma (alcove) which is a traditional Japanese room where art or flowers are displayed. (I haven't learned and just arranged them on my own way p;)

*Year-Crossing Soba-Noodles  (from soba noodle link page)

We have a custom eating it as year-crossing soba-noodles 「年越し蕎麦」 for new year'eve dinner.  For most Japanese families, having this soba-noodle with family member quietly at home means to greet the happy next year. There are several theories for how this custum started like the link explains, but the most popular one would be "wishing to have a thin long happy life" year-crossing noodles (link)

(Commonly, Soba-noodle is eaten not Udon-noodle)

*Osechi (New Year Dish)

Osechi-ryōri (御節料理 or お節料理) are traditional Japanese New Year Dish. The food are put into special boxes called jūbako (重箱). There are various BEAUTIFUL ones. Although pictures (from pc) are rather gorgeous than my Mom's old-day's home-made one, I DO remember my Mom making these dish and helping her; enjoyed nibbling while cooked, haha. And after she passed away, my late bro bought rather expensive one and brought to us with father and ate all togather.

Oh, how I reminisce these days...

Year-end and and new-year meal time is definitely we need our family member to enjoy togather!!!  I DO hope everyone will have happy new year with your family. Early post from Japan, (19:00 31st)   See You in 2 days, I'll be busy having guests and visiting to a shrine.

New Year card (year-end new year tradition part1)

Do you send many Christmas Card in western culture?  That may help you to keep contact with each other like our new year card do.

For us Japanese, it is new year's card not Christmas card we exchange. We send them to the relatives and friends and colleagues and so on. Both of us wrote more than 50 of them all together. According to the Oriental Zodiac, next year is the year of the dragon. So you can see the Chinese letter "辰" which means dragon in one of the card.

These are the examples of the new year post card's back.
We write short message somewhere in there.

"People born in the year of the Dragon are healthy, energetic, excitable, short-tempered and stubborn. However, they are honest, sensitive, brave and can inspire trust in most anyone. They are the most peculiar of the 12 signs of the Zodiac cycle."

This characteristics is from this page, you can see or calculate in what year you were born.  By the by, I was born in the sheep year, p;)