New Year's Eve in Japan (and in Germany)! ^^
This day is the last day of the year 2011. ^^
Something magical is in the air and everyone can feel it! ^^
For me it's my first New Year's Eve here in Japan, so I'm really curious, how my year 2011 will end today! ^^
So, how do the Japanese celebrate New Year's Eve?
This last day of the year is called Ōmisoka (大晦日) and is a preparation day to welcome toshigami (年神), the new year's god. It's the second important day of the year for Japanese people (New Year's Day tomorrow is the most important one ^^)!
An important Japanese end-of-year custom is Oosoji which means extensive cleaning. So people clean their home...like we do oosoji at our hostel! ^^ But we're all in great mood! ^^
Around 11:00 pm on Ōmisoka at home, people often gather for one last time in the old year to have a bowl of toshikoshi-soba (年越しそば) or toshikoshi-udon (年越しうどん) together - a tradition based on people's association of eating the long noodles with "crossing over from one year to the next,". So eating this "New Year's Eve Noodles" is very common.
Traditionally, families make Osechi (おせち) for new year day because cooking during the first 3 days of the new year is not a good thing for Kami of kitchens. But nowadays, most of families buy Osechi or cook ordinary dishes.
Another regular feature of Ōmisoka starts at 7:30 pm when public broadcaster NHK airs Kōhaku Uta Gassen ("Red vs White singing contest"), one of the country's most-watched television programs. Kōhaku Uta Gassen is a 60-year-old tradition, on which popular singers and groups split into two teams, women in the red team and men in the white. Then they compete for the audience's heart throughout the evening.^^ This program ends at about 11:45 pm. Programming then switches to coverage of midnight celebrations around the country.
We want to watch Kōhaku Uta Gassen at our TV in the lobby, too. ^^
Woah, I'm happy to get that chance! ^^
At midnight, when the New Year begins, in all Buddhist temples over Japan their large cast bell is struck once for each of the 108 earthly desires believed to cause human suffering. This tradition is called joya no kane (除夜の鐘) which means "bell rings on new year eve's night."
So at midnight, many people visit a shrine or temple for Hatsumōde (初詣). Hatsumode, the first shrine or temple visit of the New Year in Japan is called.
Here in Japan it's unusual, to have big fireworks or some big party celebration, so the people celebrate traditional and quiet with their families.
The New Year's celebration is not over after midnight. January, the 1st is a National Holiday and most of the people have off until January the 4th. So post offices and banks, for example, are closed.
For Japanese, as you can see, New Year's Eve is very traditional (for me, it's really complex, to understand all of this traditions) and an absolute really important day for families.
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But to fulfill the wish of one of our really nice tweeters ;) I want to write a little bit about how we celebrate New Year's Eve in my home country Germany, too. It's called Silvester in Germany and seems really totally different to Japanese New Year's Eve! ^^
The last day of the year many stores have open like on normal days (but not so long, only until around 2 pm) and everyone tells you the whole day, what he or she will do in the evening. ^^ So everyone is curious...because in Germany New Year's eve means to party.
You may have a nice day with your family and maybe party with your family into the New Year, but this day is not mandatory a family day.
So it's more common to go to a private party or go out to a club with some friends, your girl-/boyfriend or date and dancing and partying until 10 to 20 minutes before midnight.
Then you go outside and waiting until midnight (it's very cold in Germany at this time of the year). Time for countdown! ^^ When the New Year has arrived us, we say cheers to everyone around us with champagne/sekt/sparkling wine and wishing everyone a great New Year. The couples share their first New Years kisses and everyone is watching (or doing) fireworks.
Some champagnes and fireworks later, the party goes on.
There's no special New Year's dish in Germany, but as often many people celebrate together at home for private party, the most common dishes for Silvester (that's the German name for New Year's Eve) eat Fondue or Raclette (it's no traditional German dish but great for eating with many people ^^). At clubs, there's often a special entrance fee, which included champagne and buffet. On this picture you see a combination of fondue and raclette in one machine. That's usual, too. ^^
In Berlin, where I've lived the last years before coming to Japan, many many many (maybe more than a million) people go to the Brandenburger Tor and celebrate together (but for me it was always to cold ^^).
Ah, and I almost forget...if we party at home (or at someones home), it's tradition (especially for older people...I've to watch that EVERY year as a child) to watch this old comedy thing "Dinner for one". It's from 1963...and the same procedure as every year. You can watch it here! ^^
And often we do "Bleigiessen", which involves telling fortunes by the shapes made by molten lead dropped into cold water. ^^ But I never could see something in the shape of my "Blei". ^^
You see, New Year's Eve can be really different from country to country.
In one country traditional and quiet, in the other party and not so deep traditional. ^^
So how do you celebrate New Year's Eve in your home country?
I hope, you will have a great New Year's Eve and of course a great New Year 2012!
All your wishes should come true and all the bad things should be catched far far away in the last year! ^^
So, let's give our best in 2012, right!
Ganbatte! ^^
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