Happy New Year 2009!
Posted by: kirin on 
Jan 4th, 2009 | 
Filed under: Daily Life
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In Japan, we actually have no Christmas holiday but instead, we have long new year holidays. Up to today since 27 Dec. 2008 when we talk about this year, which is a good example. I’d think it’s no big difference making 24th & 25th of December national holidays, adding to the following long new year holidays. Anyhow, many people choose this period for travelling abroad or going back home to stay with family. I’m always staying at home or spending this time with family than travelling, because if we choose to travel, everything is going to be too expensive, sometimes that could be even 2 times more than off-season.No matter how we spend this period, most of us will just follow the traditional way of celebrating a new year with Osechi dish and Ozoni (soup with baked rice cake) to eat, exchanging new year cards between friends, visiting shrines to worship good luck for the new year and may purchase some luckey charms, daruma doll, and draw sacred lots to ask for fortune…and so on. Oh, let me add one thing. New year cards are definitely more common than Christmas cards in Japan. It’s something traditional, and regarded very natural for anyone should do in new year.
I thought I was able to have some time off during this holidays, but as it turned out I’ve been busier than I usually am. How was your holiday? Did you have a good time? Hope this new year 2009 will be something good for all of you! |
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Tags: Japanese new year cards