Fun facts you’ll want to share! January trivia and tidbits special

In Thailand, people celebrate the New Year three times a year.

Thailand has three New Year celebrations.

First is New Year’s Day on January 1, which is recognized worldwide.

The second is the Lunar New Year, celebrated in parts of East Asia.

Many Chinese people return to their hometowns for this holiday, and the massive travel rush often makes the news.

The third is the traditional New Year, which Japan also observes; in Thailand it falls in April and is called Songkran.

Since the country stretches north to south, there may be some regional differences, but having three New Years sounds a bit enviable, doesn’t it?

The saying “First Mount Fuji, second a hawk, third an eggplant” has a continuation: “four a folding fan, five tobacco, six a blind masseur.”

It’s nice when your first dream of the New Year contains auspicious signs that promise a healthy, happy year.

The classic symbols of good luck in such “hatsuyume” dreams are the famous trio: “ichi Fuji, ni Taka, san Nasubi” (first Mount Fuji, second a hawk, third an eggplant).

Less often mentioned is the continuation: “shi Ogi, go Tabako, roku Zatō” (four a folding fan, five tobacco, six a blind lute player).

Originally, these were spoken of as a set, but the first half is easier to picture as scenery, so it became the better-known part.

Taken together, they symbolize celebration and good fortune, so it’s a good idea to remember them as lucky omens.

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In nanakusa-gayu, “suzushiro” refers to daikon (Japanese white radish).

On January 7, known as the Festival of the Seventh Day (Jinjitsu), people eat nanakusa-gayu, a seven-herb rice porridge.

While it is eaten with wishes for health and safety, it also serves to rest the stomach after the indulgences of the New Year holiday.

Among the seven spring herbs used in nanakusa-gayu, the one called “suzushiro” refers to daikon radish.

Carrying the meaning of pure whiteness, daikon is said to aid digestion and promote beautiful skin.

Since many of the seven herbs are literally grasses, the inclusion of hearty daikon seems to add a satisfying substance to the dish.

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Gantan refers only to the morning of January 1, while Ganjitsu refers to the entire day of January 1.

Because the phrase also appears on New Year’s cards, some people may get confused about the difference between Gantan and Ganjitsu.

While both refer to January 1, they indicate different spans of time.

Gantan refers to the morning of January 1, whereas Ganjitsu refers to the entire day of January 1.

Since there is a custom of New Year’s cards being delivered on the morning of January 1, they are often marked with Gantan.

Because Gantan includes the meaning of “morning,” be careful to use it so the meaning doesn’t become redundant.

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In Kagawa Prefecture, people put mochi filled with sweet red bean paste into their New Year’s soup (ozoni).

It’s well known that ozoni soup is typically made with white miso in the Kansai region and soy sauce-based broth in the Kanto region.

But even within Kansai, Osaka and Kyoto are said to have slightly different flavors, and in some coastal towns people eat a lighter, dashi-forward style of ozoni.

By the way, the shape of the mochi varies too: in the Chubu region square-cut mochi is common, while in Kyushu round mochi is the norm.

What is the ozoni like in your town? Even just talking about each region’s ozoni seems like it could get lively—regional pride aside.

As a unique variant, in Kagawa they put mochi filled with sweet red bean paste into the ozoni.

Sweet mochi in a dashi broth? It really makes you curious what it tastes like!