What celebration resonates with you the most? Is it Christmas, Ramadan, Thanksgiving, Oktoberfest, or Cinco de Mayo? Different cultures have their own unique ways of celebrating important events through food, traditions, or festivals. Each celebration often holds significant meaning and creates lasting memories for individuals. For me, New Year’s has always held a special place in my heart. It has always been a time to come together with my family and start a fresh new year. The celebration perfectly aligns with my culture, as it involves family, friends, unique traditions, and food. If I compare the Japanese New Year with the well-known Lunar New Year, I find that both celebrations emphasize family connections and delicious food, but they differ in who celebrates them, how they are observed, and when they occur.

Japanese New Year, or Oshōgatsu (お正月), is an extremely popular and celebrated tradition in Japan. This tradition was previously based on the Lunar calendar and was celebrated from January 1st to February 14th, depending on the time of the year. However, after the adoption of the Gregorian calendar, the date was changed to start from January 1st and end on the 3rd. This was mainly due to Japan’s modernization efforts, including changing out old traditions for new ones. Most people practice the New Year with friends and family, where we can spend time with one another. However, it’s not just a tradition to spend time with family but also a time to start anew. Toshikoshi soba (年越しそば) is a way to break ties with the hardships of the old year and to start a fresh new year (Shah, 2023, para.6). Eating Toshikoshi soba was something I always did with my grandfather every year on new year’s eve. It would always be just the two of us going to a soba shop to eat these noodles. It was something special that just the two of us could do and is a memory I will never forget. Another way to start a good new year was to visit a shrine. This was something I did with my entire family in Japan. We would all walk up together, climb the stairs to ring the bell, toss money into the box, and pray for something we wanted for the new year. However, my most notable memory at the shrine was my first encounter with a Shishimai (獅子舞). A Shishimai, or lion dance, is a type of dance where a performer is in a lion costume that represents a mythical lion bringing good luck (Groemer, 2010, p.2). When I first encountered the Shishimai, I was 4 years old, riding on my grandfather’s shoulder. A Shishimai suddenly came behind me and bit me on my head. I had no idea what happened and was crying out of fear. Actually, being bitten by a Shishimai is relatively rare and brings an entire year’s worth of good health. That moment was one of the few memories I still remember vividly from when I was that young. Since I was young, I would always eat a type of meal called osechi. Kirshner (2019, para.4) considers this the center of Japanese New Year’s: “…national holiday called Oshōgatsu, are spent with family eating an elaborate array of New Year’s food, called osechi ryori, from large lacquerware boxes.” Osechi is a type of cooking that includes a lot of different foods and dishes, ranging from sweet to salty, and soft to hard. It was first created because most shops were closed during this time. According to Kirshner (2019), different regions had different types of osechi, which were arranged differently for the year’s fortune and luck: “Open a box of osechi in the regions of Kanto, Kansai, or Hokuriku and you’ll find various gems of candied beans, pickled vegetables, and stewed or salt-cured fish — each dish symbolic of luck and fortune in the year to come” (Kirshner, 2019, para.4). Osechi was my favorite part not only because of the food but also because of the conversations and bonding that happened while eating the food. It was the only time my entire family gathered to eat and have interesting conversations. New Year’s has always been a time when I felt most connected with my family and have so much appreciation for being who I am. I always loved the aspect of being able to spend time with family and the countless chances to create such bright and memorable moments. It always created a deeper connection with my family that I could always look back on.

Similarly, other countries in Asia also celebrate the New Year. However, unlike Japan, it is still based on the Lunar calendar. It is commonly known as the Lunar New Year and is also referred to as the Chinese New Year or Spring Festival. The event typically starts between January 21st and February 20th and lasts for 15 days, ending in the Lantern Festival. The day the Lunar New Year starts each year always depends on the zodiac sign of the year. For example, in the Year of the Rat, the celebrations start on January 25th, but in the Year of the Rabbit, it starts on January 22nd. However, before the celebration even starts, families participate in a tradition called “sweeping the grounds.” “Approximately 10 days before the beginning of the new lunar year, houses are thoroughly cleaned to remove any bad luck that might be lingering inside, a custom called ‘sweeping of the grounds’” (Ma, 2022, para.5). It seems that cleaning the house before the New Year acts as preparation to have a good and prosperous year. The first day of the celebration is marked by a feast known as the reunion dinner. According to Li (2002, p. 58), all members of the family are requested to attend due to the importance of the reunion, and if a family member is unable to join, a pair of chopsticks and a glass are placed to symbolize their participation. This shows how significant this feast is to the celebration. It represents how important this tradition really is, acting as a place to start the New Year with all family members, where each one is valued and cared for. The dinner itself includes countless delicious foods such as fish, noodles, chicken, dumplings, mushrooms, and candy. However, each food also represents good luck; for example, candy represents the sweetness of life, and dumplings are made to look like silver to symbolize prosperity. Another famous and notable symbol is the red envelope, called lì xì in Vietnamese or hóngbāo in Mandarin. This envelope is typically given during the dinner by elders and symbolizes the elder’s blessing of good luck and safety (Li, 2002, p. 60). Li (2002) shows the connection between the elders and the young children, highlighting how the elders watch over the children through their blessings for safety and good fortune. This further emphasizes the message of familial importance and a time for new beginnings with good luck and prosperity. The Lantern Festival, also known as the Yuan Xiao Festival, is the final festival of the Lunar New Year and is celebrated on the 15th day of the first month of the year. The festival represents a time to honor deceased ancestors and loved ones. It is a time when families gather to promote peace, reconciliation, and forgiveness (Ma, 2022, para. 12). This shows how the Lantern Festival acts as a perfect way to conclude the Lunar New Year celebrations. The reunion dinner and sweeping of the grounds bring good fortune to the New Year, while the Lantern Festival promotes forgiveness and acceptance of past mistakes, allowing for a fresh start. Overall, the Lunar New Year serves as a beautiful way to start off the year with friends, family, and loved ones by spending time together, as well as forgiving and accepting past mistakes.

Both Japanese New Year and Lunar New Year are extremely important celebrations in their respective cultures, marked by distinct traditions that reflect their unique ways of welcoming the new year. Despite both holidays celebrating the start of a new year, they occur on different dates: Japanese New Year follows the Gregorian calendar and begins on January 1st, while Lunar New Year is based on the Lunar calendar and varies each year according to the zodiac. Before the New Year begins, both celebrations involve unique traditions. For Lunar New Year, there is a practice known as “sweeping the ground.” According to Ma (2022), this tradition involves cleaning the house thoroughly to remove bad luck from the past year and make way for good fortune. In contrast, Japanese culture observes “Toshikoshi soba” on New Year’s Eve. Shah (2023) describes this tradition as eating soba noodles to sever ties with the old year and start with a clean slate. Both traditions aim to prepare for the new year with fresh hope and opportunities, albeit through different methods: one through physical cleaning and action, and the other through symbolic food consumption. Additionally, the traditions of Shishimai and red envelopes both symbolize good luck and protection, though they do so in different ways. According to Li (2002), red envelopes, or “hongbao,” are given by elders to children as a blessing for good luck and safety. On the other hand, Groemer (2010) describes Shishimai as mythical lion-like creatures that bring good luck and watch over people, especially during the New Year. While red envelopes are a form of gift-giving, Shishimai involves a dance performance. Both traditions emphasize that individuals are protected and cared for, whether through the blessings of elders or the mythical guardians in dance. Each New Year celebration holds its own unique elements that contribute to the overall message and purpose of the tradition. Both occasions center around spending time with family, loved ones, and starting the year with renewed strength. They offer a chance to reset, learn from past mistakes, and strive toward new goals.

Although I have always known about both the Japanese and Lunar New Years, I never realized how similar they are in their core values. The Japanese New Year holds a special place in my heart due to the countless cherished memories and traditions that resonate with my Japanese heritage. Lunar New Year, celebrated by many countries across Asia, also emphasizes family, prosperity, and the opportunity for a fresh start. While their customs differ, both celebrations embody the spirit of renewal and forward-looking optimism, making the New Year a time to embrace opportunities and aim for success.

References

Kirshner, H. (2019). In Japanese New Year Dishes, a Family Connects with Its Past. New York Times (Online). https://www.proquest.com/docview/2330068422?parentSessionId=2kiF812b1oVM50CGZWij%2B2AV8wHHgxXe3VODSne0NxM%3D&pq-origsite=primo&accountid=1553&sourcetype=Blogs,%20Podcasts,%20&%20Websites

Shah, K. (2023). Japanese American New Year’s Food Traditions Transcend Time. New York Times (Online). https://www.proquest.com/docview/2905788874?parentSessionId=8%2FJifep1t2LPZtV0lzVOP7h%2BxN%2FF9ftDcD2awwNKb8s%3D&pq-origsite=primo&accountid=1553&sourcetype=Blogs,%20Podcasts,%20&%20Websites

Groemer, G. (2010). Sacred Dance at Sensoji: The Development of a Tradition. Asian Folklore Studies, 69(2), 265-. https://sbctc-lwtech.primo.exlibrisgroup.com/discovery/fulldisplay?docid=cdi_proquest_journals_847324803&context=PC&vid=01STATEWA_LWTC:LWTECH&lang=en&search_scope=MyInst_and_CI&adaptor=Primo%20Central&tab=Everything&query=any,contains,Japanese%20New%20Year,AND&query=any,contains,lion%20dance,AND&mode=advanced&offset=0

Ma, A. (2022). Lunar New Year – Celebrating The Year of the Tiger. Special Events Magazine. https://sbctc-lwtech.primo.exlibrisgroup.com/discovery/fulldisplay?docid=cdi_proquest_reports_2624586068&context=PC&vid=01STATEWA_LWTC:LWTECH&lang=en&search_scope=MyInst_and_CI&adaptor=Primo%20Central&tab=Everything&query=any,contains,Lunar%20New%20Year,AND&query=any,contains,Chinese,AND&mode=advanced&offset=40

Song, L. (2015). The Spring Festival. Paths International Ltd. https://ebookcentral.proquest.com/lib/lwtclearningcommons-ebooks/reader.action?docID=1978019