Japanese New Year Facts

History says until 1873 during the meiji era 1868 1912 celebration of the japanese new year was based on the chinese lunar calendar.

Japanese new year facts. On the second weekend of the japanese new year the mochi is broken cooked and eaten. There are many festivals and music that go on and specials on tv that air only once on new year s eve. There is always a rush to send off new year s cards in japan.

Most businesses shut down from january 1 to january 3 and families typically gather to spend the days together. The daidai are often plastic and the mochi plastic wrapped as in this photo. Together it represents the continuity of one generation to the next.

In japan there is also a long list of cultural things to do during this important event. The japanese new year 正月 shōgatsu is an annual festival with its own customs. The japanese new year celebration is called shogatsu and new year s day is called gantan.

Since 1873 the official japanese new year has been celebrated according to the gregorian calendar on january 1 of each year new year s day 元日 ganjitsu however some traditional events of the japanese new year are partially celebrated on the first day of the year on the modern tenpō calendar the. Probably there are different ways to spend the new year s holidays depending on the cultural background of every country and also on the customs and traditions in your own family. Names for the new year in japanese.

New year s cards are crazy important part of celebrating the japanese new year. The first day of january became the official new year s day since five years after the meiji restoration. Just as it is in dozens of countries jan.

The two mochi represent the past year and the new year while the fruit represents generations of the family. Here is a guide to how japanese people spend their time during new year and a few of the most important traditions during. Unlike chinese korean or vietnamese new year japanese celebrate their new year on january 1.