大晦日 (Omisoka)

Date: Sun 31 Dec 2006 — Mon 1 Jan 2007,

Type: All Day Event

Omisoka: Japan

大晦日 (Omisoka), or New Years Eve, is a very symbolic day in Japan and is associated with cleansing the mind and the home, and making preparation for the coming year. It used to be celebrated using the Asian lunar calandar, Although  大晦日 (Omisoka) is now celebrated on the final day of December using the Western calandar.

大晦日 (Omisoka) and preparations for celebrations on News Years Day are accompanied by a cleansing called 大掃除 (Oosouji ), sometimes translated literally as the “Big Cleaning” or conceptually as “Spring Cleaning” where by Japanese families clean their homes to purify them for the coming year and to drive out impure influences.

Even if they do not follow the old ways, many Japanese use 大掃除 (Oosouji ) as an opporunity to clear out clutter and dirt from the old year and to make sure that their homes will be tidy, making the run up to the New Year a very busy day for most Japanese families, particularly those who still observe tradition, and those who have many 大掃除 (Oosouji ) chores to do.

Schools and clubs that do not convene during this time will often have their own 大掃除 (Oosouji ) before they finish for the year.

At around 11PM on 大晦日 (Omisoka), many people like to eat 年越しそば (Toshikoshisoba) or 年越しうどん (Toshikoshiudon), literally meaning crossover Soba/Udon (Japanese Noodles) but often translated as New Years Eve Soba/Udon.

Shortly before midnight and the crossing of the year, temples across Japan will strike their gongs 108 times, to cast our impurities in readiness for the coming year.

108 is believed to be the number of impurities and impure thoughts that can dwell with people’s minds.

links: digg this    del.icio.us    technorati    reddit