Ōmisoka (大晦日) or ōtsugomori (大晦) is a Japanese traditional celebration on the last day of the year. Traditionally, it was held on the final day of the 12th lunar month. With Japan's switch to using the Gregorian calendar at the beginning of the Meiji era, December 31 (New Year's Eve) is now used for the celebration.
The last day of each month of the Japanese lunisolar calendar was historically named misoka (晦日). Originally, "miso" was written as 三十, indicating the 30th day, though misoka sometimes fell on the 29th due to the varying lengths of the lunar month. The last day in the 12th lunar month is called ōmisoka (大晦日)—with the 大 indicating it is the final last day of the month for that year—or the "great thirtieth day".[1][2] As part of the Meiji Restoration, Japan switched to the Gregorian calendar in 1873, and ōmisoka was set as December 31, or New Year's Eve.[3] The day is also known by the archaic pronunciation of ōtsugomori (大晦).[1][4] This is a shortened version of tsukigomori (月隠り), meaning "last day of the month".[1]
ActivitiesEdit
Otakiage [ja], a ritual bonfire in a shrineKitsune no Gyoretsu (Ōji 2010)Kitsune no Gyoretsu (Ōji 2010)
Traditionally, important activities for the concluding year and day were completed in order to start the new year fresh.[2] Some of these include house cleaning, repaying debts, purification (such as driving out evil spirits and bad luck), and bathing so the final hours of the year could be spent relaxing. Recently, families and friends often gather for parties, including the viewing of the over four-hour Kōhaku Uta Gassen (紅白歌合戦, "Red/White Singing Battle") on NHK, or more recently to watch large mixed martial arts cards.[1] This custom has its roots in the ancient Japanese culture surrounding toshigamisama (歳神様) or toshitokusama (歳徳様), which revolved around the practice of showing reverence toward the gods of the current and upcoming years.
About an hour before the New Year, people often gather together for one last time in the old year to have a bowl of toshikoshi soba or toshikoshi udon together—a tradition based on people's association of eating the long noodles with "crossing over from one year to the next", which is the meaning of toshi-koshi. While the noodles are often eaten plain, or with chopped scallions, in some localities people top them with tempura. Traditionally, families make osechi on the last few days of the year. The food is then consumed during the first several days of the new year in order to "[welcome] the 'deity of the year' to each household" and "[wish] for happiness throughout the year".[5]
At midnight, many visit a shrine or temple for Hatsumōde, or the first shrine/temple visit of the year. Throughout Japan, Shinto shrines prepare amazake to pass out to crowds that gather as midnight approaches. Most Buddhist temples have a large bonshō (Buddhist bell) that is struck once for each of the 108 earthly temptations believed to cause human suffering.[6] When seeing someone for the last time before the new year, it is traditional to say "Yoi o-toshi wo" (良いお年を, lit. "Have a good New Year"). The traditional first greeting after the beginning of the New Year is "Akemashite omedetō (明けましておめでとう, lit. "congratulations on the new year").[6]
^ abKanagawa, Diane Wiltshire; Erickson, Jeanne Huey (August 1, 2000) [1992]. Japan for Kids: The Ultimate Guide for Parents and Their Children. New York: Kodansha America. p. 236. ISBN4770023510. LCCN 92000978.
External linksEdit
Media related to Ōmisoka at Wikimedia Commons
The dictionary definition of 大晦日 at Wiktionary
Ushering in the New Year Kids Web Japan
October 21, 2023
Ōmisoka, 大晦日, ōtsugomori, 大晦, japanese, traditional, celebration, last, year, traditionally, held, final, 12th, lunar, month, with, japan, switch, using, gregorian, calendar, beginning, meiji, december, year, used, celebration, shinto, shrine, ōmisokaofficial,. Ōmisoka 大晦日 or ōtsugomori 大晦 is a Japanese traditional celebration on the last day of the year Traditionally it was held on the final day of the 12th lunar month With Japan s switch to using the Gregorian calendar at the beginning of the Meiji era December 31 New Year s Eve is now used for the celebration ŌmisokaShinto shrine on ōmisokaOfficial name大晦日Also calledNew Year s EveObserved byJapanTypeCulturalSignificancePreparing for the new yearCelebrationsKōhaku Uta GassenDateDecember 31Next time31 December 2023 2023 12 31 FrequencyannualRelated toJapanese New YearNew Year s Eve Contents 1 Origins 1 1 Etymology 1 2 Activities 2 See also 3 References 4 External linksOrigins EditEtymology Edit The last day of each month of the Japanese lunisolar calendar was historically named misoka 晦日 Originally miso was written as 三十 indicating the 30th day though misoka sometimes fell on the 29th due to the varying lengths of the lunar month The last day in the 12th lunar month is called ōmisoka 大晦日 with the 大 indicating it is the final last day of the month for that year or the great thirtieth day 1 2 As part of the Meiji Restoration Japan switched to the Gregorian calendar in 1873 and ōmisoka was set as December 31 or New Year s Eve 3 The day is also known by the archaic pronunciation of ōtsugomori 大晦 1 4 This is a shortened version of tsukigomori 月隠り meaning last day of the month 1 Activities Edit nbsp Otakiage ja a ritual bonfire in a shrine nbsp Kitsune no Gyoretsu Ōji 2010 nbsp Kitsune no Gyoretsu Ōji 2010 Traditionally important activities for the concluding year and day were completed in order to start the new year fresh 2 Some of these include house cleaning repaying debts purification such as driving out evil spirits and bad luck and bathing so the final hours of the year could be spent relaxing Recently families and friends often gather for parties including the viewing of the over four hour Kōhaku Uta Gassen 紅白歌合戦 Red White Singing Battle on NHK or more recently to watch large mixed martial arts cards 1 This custom has its roots in the ancient Japanese culture surrounding toshigamisama 歳神様 or toshitokusama 歳徳様 which revolved around the practice of showing reverence toward the gods of the current and upcoming years About an hour before the New Year people often gather together for one last time in the old year to have a bowl of toshikoshi soba or toshikoshi udon together a tradition based on people s association of eating the long noodles with crossing over from one year to the next which is the meaning of toshi koshi While the noodles are often eaten plain or with chopped scallions in some localities people top them with tempura Traditionally families make osechi on the last few days of the year The food is then consumed during the first several days of the new year in order to welcome the deity of the year to each household and wish for happiness throughout the year 5 At midnight many visit a shrine or temple for Hatsumōde or the first shrine temple visit of the year Throughout Japan Shinto shrines prepare amazake to pass out to crowds that gather as midnight approaches Most Buddhist temples have a large bonshō Buddhist bell that is struck once for each of the 108 earthly temptations believed to cause human suffering 6 When seeing someone for the last time before the new year it is traditional to say Yoi o toshi wo 良いお年を lit Have a good New Year The traditional first greeting after the beginning of the New Year is Akemashite omedetō 明けましておめでとう lit congratulations on the new year 6 This celebration is the equivalent of New Year s Eve in the Western world and coincides with Saint Sylvester s Day celebrated by some Western Christian churches See also EditList of Buddhist festivals Japanese New Year Toshikoshi sobaReferences Edit a b c d Sosnoski Daniel ed August 5 2014 1996 Omisoka Introduction to Japanese Culture North Clarendon Vermont Tuttle Publishing p 66 ISBN 978 4 8053 1313 8 LCCN 95062169 a b Tanaka Stefan August 22 2004 Prelude Times Pasts History New Times in Modern Japan Princeton New Jersey Princeton University Press p 15 ISBN 0 691 11774 8 LCCN 2003066411 Hamano Sachiko 大晦日 おおみそか と正月 Omisoka amp Shogatsu Ōmisoka and Shōgatsu Nihongo Instructor Club Archived from the original on February 3 2017 Retrieved February 2 2017 Nishitsunoi Masayoshi May 23 1958 年中行事事典 Encyclopedia of Annual Events in Japanese Tōkyōdō Shuppan p 123 Washoku 和 食 Traditional Dietary Cultures of the Japanese PDF Ministry of Agriculture Forestry and Fisheries July 8 2015 Archived from the original PDF on July 16 2016 Retrieved February 2 2017 a b Kanagawa Diane Wiltshire Erickson Jeanne Huey August 1 2000 1992 Japan for Kids The Ultimate Guide for Parents and Their Children New York Kodansha America p 236 ISBN 4770023510 LCCN 92000978 External links Edit nbsp Media related to Ōmisoka at Wikimedia Commons nbsp The dictionary definition of 大晦日 at Wiktionary Ushering in the New Year Kids Web Japan Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Ōmisoka amp oldid 1130756877, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,
