Oshogatsu--
It is one of the most enjoyable events of the Japanese year. My first impression of the holiday was of how quiet it is. Until very recent times, you will remember, the Japanese calendar was based on the Chinese solar-lunar calendar, so oshogatsu, in fact, fell closer to the spring equinox—like the Chinese New Year of today. Therefore, it was both a celebration of the new year, but also a welcoming back of spring (and new life).
In spite of its obvious celebratory mood, to me oshogatsu is the Quiet Holiday. And that is saying a lot in a country that is pretty quiet anyway-- well at least compared to Hong Kong and LA. Lasting several days, it is as if the entire country is blanketed in a heavy snowfall.
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The First Day of the First Month-- in addition to its names referring to the coming of Spring-- 新春、猛春、開春—the old calendar term for January was “mutsuki” 睦月. Mutsu means "intimate, harmonious or friendly," so mutuki signifies that this was month "when people come together." It’s true, for even today, if anything oshogatsu is a time for families to re-connect, as all over Japan, people return in great waves—empting out of the cities—to return to their hometowns. Last night, Tokyo station was so strangely empty and it took me a minute to remember where all the people were...
A quiet celebration of the return of spring. Properly, it is also a time of reflection and contemplation, and I think it was this aspect of the holiday that drew me in so deeply when I first arrived in Japan. Of course, in America, we make our New Year’s Resolutions, but that is perhaps the extent of the contemplativer aspect of the holiday. For most Americans, I think New Year is a great party. A celebration of what will probably be another great year. In Japan, perhaps more in common with Easter, the coming of spring is of course a reference to new life and the ability to renew; to be re-born. And, the holiday is marked by its reference to “the firsts”—
The first dream 初夢
The first glance in the mirror 初鏡
The first visit to the Shrine 初詣
The first bath 初湯
The first smile 初笑
Along with spring, the self is also reborn and one should experience all the blessings in life as if they were happening for the first time. Contemplation underpins this holiday in a way I wouldn’t have been able to imagine had I not come and lived here. And I love that. You look at your image in the mirror all the time. The First Glance in the Mirror, however, urges you to step back, empty your mind and really look. 改めてみること。Look again; look deeper, and look with a clear heart explains my favorite book of Japanese seasons.
Mirrors have long played a religious role in Japan. Like many cultures, the Japanese thought they had the power to show a person’s soul. Symbolizing wisdom, one of the Three Sacred Treasures (三種の神器) of the Japanese Imperial family from the beginning of time in Japan has been a mirror. Mirrors are also a symbol of Japanese New Year in the form of glimmering white and transparent mochi. The most popular New Year’s decoration, kagami mochi 鏡餅、is just as the name implies in Japanese, “mirror rice cakes.” Long ago, they were solely offerings traditionally made at shrines and temples. White rice cakes like mirrors to reflect the image of god as well as the soul of the person making the offering.
Oshogatsu requires a lot of preparation. Not just cooking but traditionally women spent a lot of time cleaning their homes to start the year as clean as possible....
In addition to the cleaning, there are the foods to arrange and other decorations. One aspect of the holiday that was hard for me to become accustomed to was the stress on proper endings. Not only do things need to be prepared on time, but even more—things need to be finished on time.
Last year, Yoshimi called me on the telephone. “Is Osawa-san alright? Her New Years decorations are still out so I have become very worried about her.”
The proper day you should put away your decorations depends on where in Japan you live, but in many places it’s the first full moon of the month, known as Small Oshogatsu. That is usually the official day for bringing your decorations to the shrine to be burned. It is always a challenge for me to get the endings right. No matter how much I enjoy the preparations and the holiday itself, I tend to forget that there is a specific day in our town that the decorations are meant to be taken down.
Instead of beautiful, quiet snow, the winter wind is howling outside. And, the moutains are as if by magic standing tall to the northeast. I hope you all enjoy your new year wherever you are!
I spent my New Year’s Eve reading A Book of Verse: The Biography of Omar Khayyam, which I just received in the mail. You remember Omar Khayyam: the Jug of Wine, Loaf of Bread, and Thou guy. The story behind his famous book Rubaiyat is truly incredible: there are been hundreds of editions in dozens of languages. Plus his alleged association with Hassan Sabbah, Founder of the Assassin Sect, is certainly intriguing. It was a Full Moon last night (3:13 a.m. local time), in addition to being New Year’s Eve, so it is an especially good time to go into Occultation. This morning at dawn I did a White Tara Practice. The Lunar New Year, Tsagaan Sar, is coming up on February 14, and of course that is the biggest day of the year here in Mongolia. So we have that to look forward to. Best Wishes to you for the New Year!
Posted by: Don Croner | January 01, 2010 at 10:27 AM