The Japanese New Year (正月, shōgatsu?) is an annual festival with its own customs. The preceding days are quite busy, particularly the day before, known as Ōmisoka. The Japanese New Year has been celebrated since 1873 according to the Gregorian calendar, on January 1 of each year (New Year's Day where the Gregorian calendar is used). In Okinawa, the cultural New Year is still celebrated as the contemporary Chinese, Korean, and Vietnamese New Years.
Read more about Japanese New Year: History, Traditional Food, Bell Ringing, Postcards, Otoshidama, Mochi, Poetry, Games, Entertainment, Beethoven's Ninth, Hatsumōde, Hatsuhinode, The "firsts" of The Year, Little New Year
Famous quotes containing the words japanese and/or year:
“The Japanese have perfected good manners and made them indistinguishable from rudeness.”
—Paul Theroux (b. 1941)
“Its enough for you to do it once for a few men to remember you. But if you do it year after year, then many people remember you and they tell it to their children, and their children and grandchildren remember and, if it concerns books, they can read them. And if its good enough, it will last as long as there are human beings.”
—Ernest Hemingway (18991961)