New Year’s Day 元日 is the most special day in the Japanese calendar. During the first seven days, every Japanese home is decorated with special ornaments called 門松 [かどまつ] made of pine, bamboo, and sometimes ume tree representing longevity, prosperity and steadfastness, respectively.
Japanese people drink a spiced sake called 屠蘇 [とそ] and eats a soup called 雑煮 [ぞい] containing mochi rice cakes.
During the beginning of the year there is also a tradition to do the first shrine (or temple) visit of the year 初詣で where wishes for a long life and for happiness are made. During this celebration, the temples are really crowded. Big ones like Meiji-jingu 明治神宮 or Narita-san temple have millions of visitors over three days.
元日「がんじつ」 ganjitsu: New Year’s Day
正月「しょうがつ」 shougatsu: New Year (esp. first three days)
the first month of the year, January
三が日「さんがにち」 sanganichi: first three days of the New Year (January 1st to 3rd)
年賀 「ねんが」 nenga: New Year’s greetings/ New Year’s card
前年 「ぜんねん」 zennen: the preceding year/ the previous year/ last year
年内 「ねんない」 nennai: by the end of the year
平年 「へいねん」 heinen: non-leap year/ normal year (esp. as pertains to weather patterns, vegetative growth, harvest yields, etc.
年明け 「としあけ」 toshiake: beginning of the year/ early in the New Year
年始 「ねんし」 nenshi: New Year’s call/ beginning of the year/ New Year’s greetings
年賀状 「ねんがじょう」 nengajou: New Year’s card
越年「えつねん」 etsunen: seeing the old year out/ greeting the New Year/ passing the winter/ hibernation
若松 「わかまつ」 wakamatsu: young pine, New Year’s symbolic pine decoration
門松「かどまつ」 kadomatsu: New Year’s pine decoration
歳暮 「せいぼ」 seibo: year-end gift
お年玉「おとしだま」 otoshidama: New Year’s gift (usu. money given to a child by relatives and visitors)
忘年会「ぼうねんかい」 bounenkai: year-end party
歳末「さいまつ」 saimatsu: year end
年明ける「としあける」 toshiakeru: the New Year dawns
年の暮れ「としのくれ 」toshinokure: year end
年越し「としこし」 toshikoshi: New Year’s Eve/ end of the year
当たり年「あたりどし」 ataridoshi: good or lucky year
賀正「がしょう」 gashou: A Happy New Year! written on New Year’s cards, etc
初詣「はつもうで」 hatsumoude: first shrine visit of New Year
除夜「じょや」 joya: New Year’s Eve
謹賀新年「きんがしんねん」 kingashinnen: Happy New Year!
お節料理「おせちりょうり」 osechiryouri: food served during the New Year’s Holidays
大晦日「おおみそか 」 Oomisoka: New Year’s Eve
除夜の鐘「じょやのかね」joyanokane: temple bell rung 108 times on New Year’s Eve
仕事始め「しごとはじめ」 shigotohajime: resuming work after the New Year’s vacation, first time that one works in the year
turnnoffyourmind
areudirty
origamiaround
prguitarman
s-u-f-j-a-n-s-t-e-v-e-n-s
gummygunk
