Garnet

Garnet is called the “pomegranate stone” in Japanese because it resembles pomegranate seeds. It’s also considered a lucky gemstone that symbolizes “abundance.” Do you know your birthstone for your month? It’s kind of cool if you do, right? By the way, just like there are “flower meanings,” there are also “gemstone meanings.” One of garnet’s gemstone meanings is “passion.”

the second Monday in January

Until 1999, it was set on January 15 every year. After that, due to the national “Happy Monday” system, it was moved to the second Monday of January. In 2022, the age of adulthood was lowered from 20 to 18. Thinking about that, the coming-of-age ceremony has really taken various forms. For all of you, it’s still a little way off, isn’t it?

rice cake (mochi)

Otoshidama: these days it’s common to give money in a small decorative envelope, but did you know it wasn’t money in the past? The origin of otoshidama comes from the term “toshidama” (literally, ‘New Year’s spirit’), which originally referred to the rice cakes offered for the New Year. Receiving those offerings as a gift is said to be the origin of otoshidama.

this little; only this much; just a tiny bit

The “pochi” in pochibukuro is said to come from a Kansai dialect word meaning a dot, something small, or just a little. It conveys the idea of giving a small token of appreciation. Originally, in the Meiji era, it was used by gentlemen to give gratuities to geisha or shop staff, and its unobtrusive, quickly pocketable size is quite chic, isn’t it?

A wish to layer blessings and good fortune

An o-jū is also called a jūbako. Jūbako are something you only see on special days like the Doll’s Festival or Boys’ Festival. In Japanese class we also learned the expression “to pick at the corners of a jūbako” (to nitpick). A jūbako carries the meaning of “piling up auspicious events,” which seems to be a concept unique to the East Asian region. Come to think of it, I’ve never seen an American version of a jūbako.

Ward off a child's misfortune

The shuttlecocks used in hanetsuki are made with soapberry seeds. Soapberry is written with characters meaning “child without illness,” expressing the wish for children to stay healthy. There are two types of hanetsuki: agehane, played solo, and oibane, played by two people.

Little New Year

We now use a calendar based on the sun, but in the past people counted months and days based on the moon. That’s why the first full moon of the year was considered very auspicious, and the Little New Year was established. By the way, New Year’s Day is called the “Great New Year,” but do you know anyone around you who actually says that?

eggplant

As auspicious things to see in your first dream of the year, it goes: Mount Fuji, then a hawk, and an eggplant. Mount Fuji signifies immortality (fushi), the hawk signifies height (takai), and the eggplant signifies accomplishment (nasu). It’s not widely known, but did you know the list continues? They say: fourth, a folding fan; fifth, tobacco; sixth, a blind monk. The fan and tobacco are items used where people gather, and the blind monk (zato) is associated with having no hair, which by wordplay shifts to mean “no injury.”

Cleaning

There are various things you shouldn’t do during the New Year period, and among them, cleaning is disliked because it’s said to sweep away the year’s good fortune and luck. Even without that reasoning, you probably don’t want to clean during the New Year when you’d rather spend the time quietly and at ease. Finish your cleaning thoroughly by New Year’s Eve and welcome the New Year with a refreshed feeling.

Seven-herb rice porridge

On January 7th, the Festival of Seven Herbs (Jinjitsu), people eat seven-herb rice porridge, a custom said to have begun in the Edo period. Each of the seven herbs carries its own meaning and is imbued with wishes. In addition to praying to spend the year in good health and free from illness by eating it, there is also the aim of soothing stomachs tired from New Year’s overindulgence and getting vitamins that tend to be lacking in winter.