New Year in Japan is celebrated on the night of December 31 to January 1. The celebration lasts a whole week – from December 28 to January 3. The Japanese celebrate the New Year calmly, solemnly, observing traditions and rituals.
During the winter holidays, a special atmosphere reigns in the capital of the country. Several months before the New Year, holiday fairs begin to open in Tokyo, where city residents and tourists can buy New Year’s souvenirs, decorations, clothes and treats. As a token of gratitude, sellers give their customers small figurines of animals – the patrons of the coming year. Shopping centers and boutiques on Ginza Square decorate their windows and install decorated Christmas trees in front of the entrance. Marunouchi Street lights up with arches of garlands. Festive illuminations are lit on the Tokyo TV tower.
Traditions and rituals
The Japanese are very sensitive to the traditions and customs of celebrating the New Year.
In the last days of the outgoing year, they clean their houses, throw away unnecessary junk and old year’s amulets, go to Buddhist temples, where they thank for successful deeds and ask for prosperity in the future.
On New Year’s Eve, children draw their dream on paper and put the drawing under their pillow before going to bed. They believe that such a ritual will lead to the fulfillment of their cherished desire.
At midnight in Japan, the chimes replace the ringing of temple bells. Residents of the Land of the Rising Sun believe that a person has six vices: anger, greed, avarice, stupidity, frivolity and indecision. Each of them has 18 shades. There should be 108 strikes of the bells. With each strike, a person is freed from everything bad and vicious and enters the new year with a pure soul.