Japanese New Year

The Japanese New Year is Oshogatsu. Japan has accepted the solar calendar since 1873 according to which the New Year celebration starts on January 1. However, in pastoral Japan, villagers continue to follow the lunar calendar according to which Oshogatsu is the

Lunar New Year.
Japanese New Year (shogatsu or oshogatsu) is the most significant holiday in Japan and during this, most of the businesses remain shut from January 1 to January 3 during which families normally gather to spend these days collectively. This Japanese New Year celebration lasts for at least five to six days.

Everything associated with the New Year is representation of "firsts" of the New Year thus; the New Year gives a feeling of regeneration. On New Year's Eve, just before long midnight, Buddhist temples ring bells 108 times to remember Japan's destitution.

This ceremony is a way to send out the old year and welcome the new. People celebrate Japanese New Year by decorating their homes and entrance gates with several ornaments made of pine, bamboo and plum trees, along with cleaning their clothes and houses to make them look fresh and new.

January 1 is a very fortunate day, which is started by viewing the New Year's first sunrise (hatsu-hinode), as it is usually believed to be representative for the whole year that has just started. This day is believed to be fill with joy and free from stress and anger, at the same time everything should be clean and no is said to work.

Japanese New Year is the time for harmony and resolution, as Japanese people do not go to work on New Year's Day but they simply rest and celebrate the holiday with their family members and visit temples to pray for a prosperous and healthy New Year. The first visit to the temple is called "Hatsu Mohde," which means the first visit.