The Japanese Collections 9 



most important of Japanese celebrations, the New 

 Year's festival. 



Of the many festivals in Japan, that of the New 

 Year is the most widely celebrated, attended as it is 

 with elaborate ceremonies. It takes place, as with us, 

 at the beginning of the year, though according to the 

 old calendar it was celebrated a month or more later, 

 when the plum began to blossom. 



It is customary to begin the New Year by watching 

 the sunrise. Most auspicious is it to see the Sun God- 

 dess coming from the cave, as is typified by the sun 

 rising between two rocks known as Myoto Seki on the 

 Futami shore. Between these is stretched a straw rope 

 (shimenawa) , one of the most outstanding features of 

 the New Year. It is made of twisted rice-straw with 

 pendants at regular intervals and decorated with fern 

 fronds (growing in pairs and signifying conjugal hap- 

 piness) , leaves of the yuzuriha (a plant which retains 

 its old leaves as the new ones bud, signifying a long 

 united family), a lobster (with bent back, signifying 

 age), and strips of paper known as gohei. In each 

 household, these same objects are to be seen grouped on 

 a red lacquer stand (sambo) on which are also placed 

 rice dumplings (mochi) of various forms. The pine, 

 bamboo, and plum (shochikubai) , all emblems of long- 

 evity, are used over and over as decorations. 



It is believed that all evil influences are driven out 

 of the house by the ceremony of throwing dried beans 

 into every corner (oni yarai). After the beans are 

 swept out, a small charm consisting of a spray of holly 

 with a sardine's head is fixed to the upper corner of the 

 entrance to prevent the demons from re-entering. The 

 writing of poetry, the reading of a book, the first music 

 lesson, calling on friends, presentation of gifts, all are 

 indulged in on this day. On the third day, the mochi 



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