Focus on Christmas and new year celebrations in Japan...
In Japan, Christmas is celebrated and people wish each other メリークリスマス (that's to say "Merry Christmas" !), but, the celebration
which gathers the familly is the new year celebration (New year : 新年 : shin nen)
In the evening of the 31th of December, Oomisoka (大晦日), one can hear the 108 gong strokes (if living close from a temple) and
everybody wishes to the other a happy new year !
During this period, japanese television shows temples or people queueing to enter in temples. There are also special TV programme :
like this "battle" between white and red singers (the name of the show is : 紅白歌合戦 !)
or a show from a SMAP (Sports Music Assemble People), that's to say a boys'band, may be more physical...
Another example, using skates...
A singer alone: Appreciate the choregraphy of the young girl
And more romantic...
Here is another show (31st of December 2004) which had a lot of success :
Ken Matsudaira, japanese actor playing samouraïs, is also a Samba dancer...
Discover the MatsuKen SanBa, the only Samba you can dance when wearing a kimono ! This
is our prefered sequence...
マツケン サンバ(Matsuken Sanba )
The following day, japanese use to visit temples and eat mochi (crushed rice) and other traditionnal meals artistically placed in piled boxes.
One particular detail : The 23rd of December, emperor's birthday, is a bank holyday, but not the 25th of December.
And when is celebrated the new year in Japan ? Actually the 1st of January but the new year is not 2009 but year 20!
Indeed, Japanese years count starts from the beginning of their emperor's reign... So, in 2009, it is the 20th year of Heisei area...
あけましておめでとう, "Akemashite omedeto"! ("Happy new year") to all !
You can also discover christmas traditions in Russia here ...
Karine Caire
Art et Artisanat du Monde
