Fun facts you’ll want to share! January trivia and tidbits special
There are surprisingly many things about New Year’s customs and January-only traditions that we think we know but actually don’t.
From the wishes embedded in osechi cuisine and the true identity of the fruit placed atop kagami mochi, to things you shouldn’t do during the New Year period, January is full of trivia and fun facts that can liven up conversation.
In this article, we’ll introduce plenty of general-interest trivia and tidbits related to January.
Why not bring them up as topics during family gatherings with relatives over the New Year?
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Fun facts you’ll want to share! January trivia & tidbits (21–30)
In January, there is a festival called “Hatsuka Shōgatsu” (Twentieth Day New Year).
January 20 is a traditional event called “Hatsuka Shōgatsu,” which literally means “the twentieth-day New Year.” It’s a day to celebrate the New Year once more, when people take down the kagami mochi and offer thanks to the deities.
In the past, farming households held banquets and purification rites on this day—once the busy New Year period had settled—observing it as the Little New Year and praying for good health and a bountiful harvest.
It might be nice to make the 20th a slightly special day when both children and adults can feel, “Oh, the New Year has come again!” In some regions, there’s also a custom of eating mochi and sweet red beans, making it a cheerful day to look back on the start of the year.
The world’s oldest spinning top was discovered in Egypt.
Tops have been played with since ancient times, but in fact the oldest known tops were found in Egypt.
The excavated ones are thousands of years old and were small tops made of wood or clay.
Tops are toys that both children and adults can become absorbed in just by spinning them by hand, and they were a source of fun for people long ago as well.
Moreover, they weren’t only for play; they were sometimes used as offerings to the gods or as tools for divination.
Learning about the history of tops, which are still loved around the world today, makes you feel a bit like you’ve taken a time trip, thinking, “Children in the past played in the same way we do.”
Kurikinton in osechi cuisine symbolizes good financial fortune.
Kurikinton, one of the dishes in the New Year’s osechi cuisine, looks like a small golden mound and has a sweet, fluffy texture.
In fact, kurikinton isn’t just a treat—it carries the meaning of bringing good fortune with money.
Because its yellow or golden color evokes gold coins, it symbolizes wishes for wealth and financial blessing.
Both children and adults can feel a little excited as they eat it at New Year’s, thinking, “I hope we won’t have money troubles this year.” Kurikinton is a symbol of happiness that’s delightful in both taste and appearance!
If it’s after around January 7, it’s no longer a New Year’s card but a winter greeting (kanchu-mimai).
Do you know by when it is considered courteous to send New Year’s cards so they arrive? Generally, it is proper to mail them between December 15 and 25 so they are delivered by January 7, the end of the New Year period called “Matsu-no-uchi.” Matsu-no-uchi refers to the time during the New Year when festive decorations are displayed, and it is believed that the New Year deity stays in each household during this period.
Therefore, it’s best for New Year’s cards to arrive within this timeframe.
After January 7, it becomes the season for sending “Kanchū-mimai” (midwinter greetings), so please take care.
In osechi-ryori, the black soybeans (kuromame) embody the wish to live diligently and in good health.
Kuromame (black soybeans), an essential part of New Year’s osechi cuisine, actually carry a deep meaning.
The word “mame” conveys a wish to live diligently and healthily, hoping one will spend the year in good health, working steadily and energetically.
“Mame” also means being spirited and industrious.
That’s why both children and adults, while eating kuromame, naturally feel, “Let’s do our best again this year!” As you savor them, you also partake in wishes for happiness and health—making this a dish believed to bring good fortune.