New Year in Japan 2018 is loved no less than in any other country. True, it is called in its own way - O-shogatsu. One hundred and fifty years ago, it was celebrated according to the Chinese lunar calendar. At the end of the nineteenth century, in 1868, Emperor Mutsuhito came to power. It was he who decided that Japan should celebrate the New Year like all enlightened Europe - on the night of December 31 to January 1.
During the Mutsuhito era, the celebrations lasted the entire first New Year month. Now the holidays start on December 29 and last until January 4. At this time, almost the entire official business life of the country freezes, and the streets are transformed, preparing to meet the brightest, funniest and most delicious holiday.
There are several deities in Japan claiming to be Santa Claus. Hoteisho has eyes on the back of his head, so he sees everything. The Japanese ask him for happiness and fulfillment of desires. Segatsu-san appears on the eve of Christmas, he comes to the houses of the Japanese and congratulates everyone on the holiday. But this blue kimono grandfather doesn't give gifts. Oji-san has become extremely popular in recent years. He comes to the Japanese children on the night of January 1 and leaves gifts.
Waiting for the holiday
New Year in Japan still keeps the ancient traditions of celebration, obeying the rules and rituals. Nothing is done just like that. Bazaars and fairs have been opened throughout the country since the beginning of December. On them you can buy everything for the future holiday: amulets for luck, amulets, talismans, souvenirs.
What to buy for the New Year?
- Blunt arrows with white plumage are an indispensable attribute of the New Year. Their task is to protect the house from evil spirits, preventing them from harming the inhabitants of the dwelling. These arrows are called Hamimi.
- Not a single New Year in Japan can be complete without a boat. Seven main deities are seated in it, who are supposed to bring prosperity to the family. The Japanese believe that if you put an image of such a ship under a pillow, you will have a prophetic dream.
- Daruma is a doll, somewhat similar to our tumbler, made of papier-mâché. But it is not meant to be played at all. On New Year's Eve, its owner makes the most cherished wish and draws one eye. If within a year the conceived comes true, then the second is completed and such a doll is put in a place of honor. If the wish does not come true, then at the end of the year the daruma is burned.
- Kumade - bamboo rakes appear in every house on New Year's Eve. The Japanese believe that such is very convenient to rake in happiness for themselves and their loved ones.
It's time to decorate
In addition to gifts and souvenirs, the celebration of the New Year in Japan requires some ceremonies. One of them is related to cleaning the house. On December 13, the Japanese arm themselves with buckets and rags and arrange a general cleaning of their apartments. The purpose of the action is not just to clean everything, on this day they throw out the excess, making room for new things.
Cleaning is done in offices as well. On the last working day of the year, all employees rush to the general fight against dust and debris, laundering their workplaces. In this way, the Japanese are trying to get rid of old failures and failures.
Cleanliness and tidiness
An obligatory attribute of the holiday is a pine tree at the entrance or kadomatsu, in the Japanese way. Previously, it really was a living tree, which was decorated and placed in front of the entrance to the house or inside. Now in Japan there is a ban on cutting pine trees, so kadomatsu consists of bamboo stems decorated with pine branches. You can supplement the composition with tangerines, plum sprigs, ferns and whatever your heart desires, if only this together attracts good luck. In fairness, it should be noted that this is almost the only case when the New Year in Japan made such a serious change in the ancient tradition.
In addition to kadomatsu, there must be a motibana in the house. These are willow or bamboo branches decorated with homemade rice balls. They are hand-painted to create a festive atmosphere. Figures of fish and fruits are hung on the branches, and decorated with flowers. Like other New Year's attributes, kadomatsu has its own task - to lure harmony and harmony into the house.
Dec. 31
How is New Year celebrated in Japan? On this day, you should definitely complete all the work you have started, pay off debts, return everything that was borrowed for a while. If this is not done, the belief guarantees failure and adversity. The Japanese prefer not to take risks.
Another obligatory moment of the New Year's ritual is the distribution of postcards. They are filled in by hand, writing in the wishes in calligraphic handwriting. There is no place for mistakes and blots, otherwise the addressee will think that they are not treated well enough. The Japanese assign such an important role to this tradition that even in elementary school, children are taught to correctly fill out New Year's cards.
It is estimated that, on average, every Japanese person receives about 35 postcards during the New Year holidays. With a population of 127 million people, the number of letters should be at least four and a half billion. Postmen have to work hard to deliver all this belongings in time.
How is New Year's Day celebrated in Japan? Having laundered the dwelling, distributing debts and completing what has been started, everyone is preparing for the main night. Dress up in the evening after taking a bath. Children wear light-colored kimonos, adults wear dark kimonos. If the child is under 12 years old, he must have new clothes.
Feast
There are no random foods on the table that day. The Japanese do not set the table in order to surprise with the assortment and wealth of flavors. They call on all the blessings of the world to visit them, so that the coming year will only please and bestow. So, buckwheat noodles symbolize the longevity of the whole family.
The main dish of this evening is o-seti. It is served in three lacquer boxes. Each product in this set has its own role, and the main rule that Japanese women follow when preparing this dish is not the taste combination of products, but their symbolism. Here you can find boiled fish of all kinds, vegetables with eggs, herring caviar, crabs with shrimps, and fried chestnuts. Something is responsible for good luck, another product invokes harmony. O-sechi can be bought at any supermarket, and not every young Japanese woman knows how to prepare this dish.
Where in Japan can one go from the main ingredient - rice? A variety of cakes made from this cereal should also delight with the promise of the well-being and stability of all those present. Zoni soup should also be on the table. Before the start of the meal, one should drink o-toso. This drink should break the evil spell and help to cheer up the spirit and body.
Why is the bell ringing?
The bell rings at midnight. Exactly 108 beats sound. Thus, the Japanese are trying to drive away human vices. According to ancient belief, there are six of them. But each of them has eighteen shades.
After the bell has rung and all the vices have been driven out, the Japanese go to bed. They rise early in the morning, before dawn, and immediately rush into the street. They believe that along with the rising sun, the deities of happiness swim to the shores of their country. Each of them embodies its own quality.
It's time to decorate
Unlike Europeans, who consider New Year to be an exclusively secular holiday, the Japanese revere it as a religious one. Therefore, the first thing to do at dawn is to go to the temple and light a straw rope from the sacred lantern. The latter should be taken home and used to start a fire in or near the dwelling. Then well-being will probably not recede.
First, they visit Buddhist temples, where they make donations, wash themselves with "young" water to cleanse themselves from last year's oppression. Leaving the temple without a paper strip on which a prediction for the next year is inscribed is bad form. After Buddhist temples go to Shinto. Stocks of the best sake are already waiting for everyone here.
In the rank of obligatory - the tradition of visiting each other. It is not at all necessary to enter the house. You can walk to the door and leave a note with the words "I was here."
Throughout the first decade of January, the Japanese have fun, arranging calligraphy competitions between schoolchildren, the first auction, tea ceremonies, traditional games for children and adults. The holidays will end with a big bonfire, in which all the New Year's decorations will be burned. This flame should bring purification and good health.
In the Land of the Rising Sun there are many unusual traditions and customs associated with the New Year. By the way, this is the most important holiday of the year, and it is always celebrated on a grand scale. Below are just a few of the rituals that are relevant exclusively to Japan.
Kimono - New Year's clothes
Once upon a time, the Japanese wore kimonos almost all the time. But now these clothes are festive. So the New Year, as well as a few days after its onset, becomes an excellent reason to put on a kimono.
The tradition is honored not only by ordinary people, but also by local celebrities. It is enough to watch New Year's TV programs and see that many presenters and guests will come to the studio in kimono.
First prayer
Hatsumode - this is the name of the first prayer that the inhabitants of Japan say in the new year. To do this, they go to one of the temples, taking their family with them. In prayer, it is customary to thank the gods for all the good things that happened in the past year, and to ask for well-being in the coming year.
As soon as the prayer comes to an end, you need to take a few small coins and throw them into a special box. This ritual, too, is not a single hundred years old. Money will also come in handy for buying omikuji (small fortune papers) and ema charms. Such products are available in all churches without exception.
You can perform the first prayer in any temple, but the most popular of the shrines is Meiji Jingu in Tokyo. More than 3 million people come here to pray from January 1 to January 3. Moreover, some specially come from other prefectures, and are ready to spend not a single hour in line, just to get to prayer here.
Meeting with the imperial family
January 2 of each year is considered New Year's Day in Japan. Another tradition is connected with this date - thousands of citizens come to the territory of the imperial palace to meet with the emperor and his family. To do this, the whole family goes to the balcony of the palace and accepts congratulations, after which they thank the audience.
The event bears the intricate name Ippan Sanga, and became popular with the active participation of the imperial court. Japanese leaders have always believed that the government and the people should be united, and the New Year is an excellent occasion to forge such a connection.
First workout
Hatsugeiko - literally translated "first lesson". A tradition in schools where children practice martial arts. It shows the importance of the chosen business, and the need to continue training, even if you recently enjoyed a holiday. Hatsugeiko are held on January 2nd and 3rd.
Divination by New Year's dreams
Dreams that come to people on the night of 1 to 2 and from 2 to 3 January are called hatsuyume. There is a belief that they can be used to predict the fate of the next year. So, the symbols of good luck and prosperity are: Mount Fuji, a falcon and an eggplant.
What does eggplant have to do with it? Not everyone knows, but the Japanese love this vegetable. It is included in many dishes, and earlier it was considered a scarce delicacy at all.
Fukubukuro - bags of happiness
Several decades ago, in the early days of the new year, shops and markets were closed. But with the advent of modern shopping and shopping and entertainment centers, everything has changed. As a result, on January 1 and 2, there is a sale called hatsuuri.
The essence of this event is that only one product is offered to buy - ... This is a package with products from a store, the contents of which are unknown. Why then do they buy it? It's simple - the cost of goods in any of these packages is much more than you have to pay for it. Not surprisingly, shops are lining up huge queues of people wishing to acquire at least one fukubukuro.
After more than a year break, without waiting for a return meeting with Khabib Nurmagomedov, on Saturday January 18, 2020 (in Russia it will be the morning of January 19, 2020) Irish fighter Conor Anthony McGregor will reappear in the octagon, to the delight of its many fans.Former UFC champion Conor McGregor will fight an American mixed martial arts fighter Donald Anthony Cerrone, also known as " Cowboy".
36-year-old Donald Cerrone is ranked 5th in the UFC rankings, weighs 77 kg with a height of 183 cm (according to other data - 185 cm) and won 36 of 50 fights. It should be noted that the last 2 years in Cerrone's career is undergoing a "black streak" - in 6 out of 10 fights he was defeated (including from Tony Ferguson, who, we recall, in 2020 should meet with McGregor's "offender" - Khabib).
That is, who will McGregor fight on January 18, 2020:
* with Donald Cerrone ("Cowboy").
Where will the Conor McGregor fight on January 18 (19), 2020:
Venue Conor McGregor vs "Cowboy" Cerrone - "T-Mobile Arena" in Las Vegas (USA, Nevada).The fight will be the headliner (main event) of the tournament " Ufc 246".
In the T-Mobile arena, UFC events are infrequent, about 3 times a year. And just here on October 6 last year, McGregor suffered his "extreme" defeat. Therefore, the choice of this particular site for his next fight looks like an attempt to furnish the upcoming fight as a kind of "revenge", an opportunity to rehabilitate himself in front of the fans.
What time will the fight of Conor McGregor begin on January 18 (19), 2020, where to watch:
The start time for UFC 246 is 15:00 local time on January 18, 2020 (02:00 Moscow time on January 19, 2020, since the time difference between Las Vegas and Moscow is 11 hours).The fighting map of the tournament includes 12 fights, of which the fight between Conor McGregor and Donald Cerrone will be the final one. Fighters will enter the ring closer to 8 am "Moscow time" 19.01.2020
Live meeting McGregor - Cerrone will show TV channel "REN TV"... The start of the television broadcast dedicated to this event is scheduled for 06:30 Moscow time.
That is, the fight of Conor McGregor on January 18 (19), 2020:
* what time it starts - after 6:30 am Moscow time.
* where to watch - on the REN TV channel.
When to swim at Epiphany 2020:
Swimming in the ice hole for Epiphany in 2020 should be on the night of January 18-19, 2020(from Saturday to Sunday), or during the day 01/19/2020.Approximate working hours of the hot tubs (check for your bathing place):
* from 23:00 January 18, 2020 to 04:00 January 19, 2020
* from 12:00 to 18:00 during the day on January 19, 2020
Many believe that the procedure of ablution in ice water allows you to completely wash away your sins, but this is not the case. The rite of swimming in an ice hole has a different meaning: it gives people the opportunity to strengthen their will by performing a courageous act, give a positive impulse to health, get a boost of vivacity and improve mood.
When and how to guess at Epiphany 2020:
It is believed that the best time for fortune telling on this winter holiday is night from 18 to 19 January 2020 There are a great many fortune-telling that allows you to open the veil of the future, and if you are ready for this, we will tell you about some of them.One of the oldest fortune-telling, popular to this day, is called " Hail from a passer-by"and allows you to find out the name of the future groom, as well as some of his" special features ", such as height, eye and hair color, nose shape, etc. To do this, you should go outside at midnight and ask the name of the first man you meet, and also take a closer look at those details of his appearance that interest you.
You can get a hint about the future using the second method, which is called " Fortune telling on the book To do this, we find a serious book, best of all a classic work of Russian literature, ask a question, name the page and line numbers that come to mind, open and read the first full sentence.
Message from the President of the Russian Federation to the Federal Assembly on January 15, 2020 - where the announcement will take place:
On Wednesday January 15, 2020 President of Russia Vladimir Putin will come up with the next message to the Federal Assembly... This is one of the three most anticipated annual speeches of Vladimir Putin to be broadcast live, along with a press conference and a live stream.
Venue the event will be Moscow Manege(Central Exhibition Hall, located at the address: Manezhnaya Square, 1).
What will the President's Address to the Federal Assembly be in 2020:
The President's message to the Federal Assembly on January 15, 2020 will be 26th in a row in Russian history, and By the 16th performance of V.V. Putin(Boris Yeltsin also addressed the Address 6 times, and Dmitry Medvedev 4 times).What time will Putin's Address to the Federal Assembly begin on January 15, 2020, where to watch:
The start of Putin's appeal to the parliament of the Russian Federation is scheduled for January 15, 2020. at 12:00 Moscow time.Below we tell you where to watch the President's Address 2020 online and live.
On the Internet, online broadcasting, as well as viewing the message in the recording, will be available:
* on the website of the organizer of the appeal of the Head of State - a television company VGTRK.
Live Putin's Address to the Federal Assembly will be shown on the following channels:
* "First", "Russia 1", "OTR", "Mir"
.
You can not only watch the message to the Federal Assembly of 2020, but also listen to it on radio stations:
* "Mayak" and "Radio Russia".
New Year is a special holiday that each of us wants to celebrate in a place that will set the tone for the whole coming year. Someone chooses for themselves a snow-covered fairy tale of a ski resort, someone has a leisurely vacation on the shore of a turquoise beach or bright festivities of a large metropolis. But there is a place in the world where in this holiday you can feel the real symbolism of the beginning of the countdown. Japan is not only the land of the rising sun, where the clock strikes midnight earlier than in other parts of the world, it is also the land of centuries-old traditions of celebrating the new year.
A great variety of Buddhist rituals and Shinto customs, which arose during the celebration of this holiday according to the lunar calendar, migrated to our times, when the countdown is according to the Gregorian.
Come to Japan a few days before the new year and taste the pre-New Year mood of the Japanese preparing for the big holiday. Everything is carefully cleaned and cleaned, unnecessary things are thrown away and used up souvenirs and amulets of the outgoing year are scrapped. Temples and monasteries are especially carefully preparing for the holiday, because it is here that thousands, if not millions, of visitors, both Japanese and tourists, flock here on New Year's Eve. If you're lucky, you might even see monks climbing the Big Buddha in Nara and rubbing it to a shine.
In large department stores there is a bustle - carefully selected, packed in several layers "oseibo" - gifts for the new year for colleagues and business partners, new nengadze postcards are printed, which should be received by every acquaintance and by all means before January 1. Bonenkai and white-collar parties will take place in offices and educational institutions, and students will leave large cities a day or two before the holiday to spend time with their families.
The period from December 31 to January 3 is a high time to come to Tokyo, Yokohama or Osaka to see the metropolis having a rest from the daily hustle and bustle and feel the "family" of the holiday. Everything is decorous, quiet, calm, without loud festivities and all-night vigils of firecrackers, which accompany New Year's Eve with us. There is also no custom here to accompany the New Year with lavish feasts; an established set of several dishes, endowed with a certain symbolism, is being prepared for the holiday. In Juubako's lacquered food boxes you will find long soba noodles, the so-called Toshikoshi soba, which symbolizes longevity, black beans as a symbol of health, dried sardines as a symbol of a rich harvest in the coming year, herring caviar as a wish of a large number of children ... a dozen other ingredients neatly separated from each other by the sides of the box. All these products are well stored and are designed to relieve the Japanese housewives of the burden of cooking for three New Year's days, when they should only rest, make wishes for the coming year and visit loved ones. Come to taste the New Year's dishes and feel their "charge" for well-being in the coming year!
Near midnight on December 31st, head to a major temple such as the Meiji Shrine in Tokyo to listen to the 108 bells ringing and free yourself from 108 human sins that may have been committed this year. In Shinto temples, too, there is nowhere for an apple to fall - the crowd slowly moves to a kind of altar to clap their hands and toss a coin for good luck. By the way, do not forget to hand over your old amulet and buy another one with the symbols of the new year. During the holidays, almost all churches and monasteries are open, so you can see with your own eyes how their obsolete symbols and amulets are burned. In the first days of the new year, a calm and pacifying atmosphere will reign here, it's time to devote the first hours of the year to tune in to a harmonious mood.
Only in the land of the rising sun, the meeting of the first dawn of the year is an invariable ritual that every self-respecting Japanese person observes. To do this, it is not necessary not to close your eyes all night, many simply set the alarm and get up to meet the sun, which starts a new countdown.
But if you like to “spark the night”, go to Roppongi Hills, fun parties in the entertainment venues of the complex await you. The atmosphere of a futuristic city, multiplied by the fun, set by foreigners in local bars and clubs, will help to spend part of New Year's Eve in the usual fuss of festive fun.
For tourists, January 1 is not only an opportunity to walk along noticeably deserted streets and temples, but also a wonderful occasion to soak up the Hakone hot springs while admiring the snow-covered summit of Mount Fuji. Onsen are simply a must-see for anyone who wants to experience Japan. Hot, rich in minerals, onsen water is incredibly relaxing and leaves the skin with a wonderful velvety. Two or three dives in onsen and you will see not a trace of fatigue from yesterday's party in Roppong!
January 2 is a special day, one of the few (January 2 and December 23), when the Imperial Palace in Tokyo will open its doors to visitors. Starting from 10 am until 2:20 pm, the emperor and his family members will greet the people gathered in front of the palace, making short exits to the balcony. We would, of course, advise you to pay special attention to exploring the garden around the palace, because such an opportunity does not happen very often, even for Tokyo residents.
If you are celebrating the New Year in Tokyo with your children, and indeed even without them, Tokyo Disneyland should become an obligatory part of your New Year's program. After all, the New Year is such a holiday when it is so nice to feel like a child and not just believe in a fairy tale, but see it with your own eyes. Colorful performances and shows, fireworks, incredible steepness of slides and other attractions for the injection of adrinalin - perhaps a day will not seem enough ... but there are so many interesting things worth seeing in Japan.
Every little thing, decoration, New Year ceremony in Japan is made with sense and taste. It is so easy to just feel the New Year here, and not just to celebrate it. Start the year right, and the best way to do it is to learn from the Japanese.
New Year in Japan: bright photos and videos, detailed description and feedback on the New Year in Japan event in 2020.
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New Year in this country is one of the most beloved holidays. New Year's holidays last from December 28 to January 4, these days the business life in the country practically freezes, and its population is busy first preparing for the holiday, then celebrating the New Year, and after that - taking a break from the celebration and communicating with loved ones.
New Year's fairs are unfolding everywhere, you can buy whatever your heart desires, sometimes even at a bargain price.
The symbols of the holiday are hamimi (blunt arrows with white plumage, which are designed to protect the home from troubles and problems), takarabune (boats with rice and other necessary things on which the seven gods of luck sit) and kumade (something like a bamboo rake, which convenient to rake in happiness, joy and luck).
At the entrance to almost every house there is a welcoming structure made of pine, straw, bamboo, fern, symbolizing the joy of the arrival of the holiday deity. The structure is often decorated with a few unexpected things: shrimps, bunches of seaweed, tangerines - each of the decorations has its own deep meaning, which is not always immediately clear to Europeans. As a rule, December 31 ends with a festive meal in the bosom of the family, which takes place in reflection on the future.
The arrival of the new year is announced by 108 bells, a tradition dating back more than 1000 years. In theory, each blow chases away one of the pernicious passions inherent in man.
With the last ring of the bell, everyone goes outside to admire the first dawn of the new year. The Japanese are a rather pedantic nation, so the first days of the year are spent scrupulously counting the congratulations sent and received and balancing these numbers, as well as in visits to those people with whom they communicated during the previous year.
