Bamboo New Year Japan
The start of the year is a spiritual time for japan when new year s gods are said to descend from the heavens and exist in the earthly realm.
Bamboo new year japan. Usually the kadomatsu is made from 3 bamboo strains. The traditional winter holiday for the japanese is oshogatsu literally first month or new year. If you are in japan for the new year you might be surprised that instead of a big party new year s eve in japan is a quiet evening spent with one s family.
Both pine and bamboo are plants representing longevity in japan making them ideal as decorations and symbols of long life in the new year. Japanese new year celebrations are quite different from typical western ones. History says until 1873 during the meiji era 1868 1912 celebration of the japanese new year was based on the chinese lunar calendar.
Each element from the kadomatsu carries a significance the bamboo symbolizes strength and growth and the pine symbolizes long life. Bamboo in japanese culture. The new year is an exciting holiday everywhere in the world.
The fundamental function of the new year ceremonies. Another new year japanese custom is to place on both sides of the entry door kadomatsu 門松 meaning gate pine a decoration made from bamboo pine or ume twigs tied together with a straw rope. However although we all celebrate the same thing we tend to celebrate it differently.
Kadomatsu is a decoration with three cut pieces of bamboo and pine for the japanese new year s holiday. Towards the end of december you will see pine bamboo and rope like decorations adorning homes stores and other buildings to welcome in the new year in japan. They are placed after christmas until january 7 and are considered temporary housing for kami.
Photo by dozodomo although they may differ from region to region the basic foundation of the kadomatsu features three or five stalks of bamboo cut on the diagonal in different lengths standing vertically with pine branches arranged around them. For years people were told to run into the bamboo groves in the event of an earthquake because the bamboo s strong root structure would hold the earth together. The meaning of kadomatsu decorations.