My favorite holiday in Japan is New Year’s Day. We celebrate New Year from January 1 through January 3 as well as on New Year’s Eve. On New Year’s Eve, we eat buckwheat noodles while we watch an annual singing competition between men and women on TV. Buckwheat noodles are believed to symbolize long life. On New Year’s Day, we say “Akemashiteomedetou.(Happy new year)”to each other and drink toso(a special sake). People decorate their front door spine branches and bamboo. Many families and their relatives together and eat special New Year’s foods.
New Year’s special foods include a special soup, cooked vegetables, a type of sea weed, Japanese style omelets, fish roe, and rice cake. Every year, some children and elderly people choke to death on rice cake (omochi). TV announcers make annual public service warning about the hazard of eating a rice cake. My mother cut rice cake for my grandparents. Many women prepare the food in advanced of New Year’s Day. I remember helping my mother to cook New Year’s special foods every New Year’s Eve. The choice of New Year’s special foods depends on the family, and in particular favorite soups can be very different. My family’s soup of choice is made of fish and vegetables but my husband’s family soup of choice is made of miso, vegetables and rice cake.
One of the reasons that I like the arrival of New Year is that my birthday is January 2. Thus I was able to celebrate my birthday with my extended family. I got money for my birthday present, because children traditionally receive cash from their parents and relatives during the New Year celebration. When I was a child, I expected to get a lot of money. Now, I’m worried about how much money I have to give to my nephews and nieces.
Japanese New Year’s special food