Continuing with our last article on Oshougatsu the Japanese New Year, let's get to know some more rituals that the Japanese perform during the new year, in addition to many remarkable facts of the Japanese culture.
Keep in mind that I am not commenting on all the rituals and customs performed in the Japanese New Year, but only the ones I found most interesting.
Who knows, in the future I'll write about other New Year's customs of our oriental friends.
Como não poderia deixar de mencionar, no final do artigo você encontrará dicas de quando falar e como dizer “feliz ano novo!” em japonês.
Oshougatsu – Ano novo japonês com sete dias de feriado!
É isso mesmo, os dias um, dois e três de janeiro são considerados feriado nacional, mas muitas empresas aumentam esta “folga” para sete dias, dando tempo para seus funcionários viajarem, realizarem seus rituais de ano novo e visitarem seus familiares. Seria tão bom se no Brasil fosse assim também…
The explanation for this phenomenon lies in the Japanese tradition. She says that in the first three days of the year you can't work.
If anyone works, he will scare away the god of happiness, condemning himself to an unpleasant year.
Are we going to the temple in the new year?
This first visit to the temple is known as 初詣 and may continue to occur during the first three days of the new year.
According to Shinto, the sun god is the most important god of the universe.
Therefore, say your prayers during the first sunrise ( 初日の出 ) brings joy and prosperity for the entire new year.
How about giving money to children?
At the 正月, the Japanese have the habit of gifting their children, grandchildren and nephews with envelopes stuffed with money.
That's right, money. You can even imagine the joy of children waiting for New Year's gifts.
The amount of money from お年玉 varies according to the age of the children, who unceremoniously tear open the envelopes to see how much they have won.
a special visit
The second day of the Japanese New Year (Oshougatsu) is marked by a visit to the Imperial Palace, which is located in 東京, to greet the Japanese emperor and his family.
This is a great opportunity to wish a happy new year to the Emperor and his family.
the lion dance
Apesar de parecer, isso não tem nada a ver com a receita federal… 🙂 O獅子舞It is a dance of Chinese origin that aims to scare away evil spirits from homes and bring material prosperity to people.
Usually this dance is performed by a flutist and a lion in front of the residences.
No final eles recebem uma “gorjeta” em dinheiro oferecida pelos donos das casas.
Essa parece ser uma ótima maneira de ganhar um dinheirinho extra no final do ano. 🙂
New Year is also time to play
During Oshougatsu the Japanese New Year, girls often play shuttlecock ( 羽根突 ).
But unlike the shuttlecock game I know, which is played by hitting the shuttlecock with your hands, Japanese girls use well-decorated rackets known as 羽子板.
They say that anyone who drops the shuttlecock is penalized with scribbles on the face. On the other side, Japanese boys play with tops and fly kites.
Despite looking like a lot of fun, these games are becoming an increasingly uncommon custom in many Japanese cities.
Another cool game is 書道, where the Japanese do the first calligraphy of the year.
In many places, communities hold Japanese calligraphy contests and turn something simple into something really fun.
No final, só resta queimar a decoração…
This Japanese custom surprised me. I had no idea that they would just strip away the New Year's decor and burn it all down.
It is said that this ritual serves to attract happiness throughout the new year.
Contrary to what it may seem, this custom of burning decorations occurs in several cities in Japan.
The burning of the decoration takes place in the period known as 小正月, between the 14th and 16th of January.
How to say happy new year in Japanese
Diferente do nosso idioma, onde temos uma única palavra para expressar nosso desejo de um “feliz ano novo”, os japoneses possuem várias palavras para serem ditas em situações diferentes.
Before the new year, it is common to use expressions such as:
謹賀新年 – Expressão geralmente usada em cartas ou em qualquer outra forma escrita.
Significa “Feliz ano novo” e deve ser usada antes da passagem do ano.
明けましておめでとうございます – Depois do dia 31 de Dezembro, é comum usar essa expressão para parabenizar as pessoas pela passagem do ano.
This expression can also vary for 新年明けましておめでとうございます, and has the same meaning.
よいお年を！ – Também significa “Feliz ano novo”, mas de um modo informal e geralmente usado na forma falada.
いいお年をおむかえください– É outra palavra comum para dizer antes do dia 31 de Dezembro, e significa “Tenha um boa passagem de ano”.
Conclusion
Here we end our articles about the Japanese New Year. I hope you enjoyed.
Para todos…
謹賀新年!
Image credit belongs to u-suke.