I. THE PIXE. 



FOR the first month of the year, the pine is the only choice, 

 whether taken separately or in connection with the bamboo 

 and the plum. The decorations in front of every house at the Xew 

 Year's season are known as Kado-matsu (gate pines), or Matsu- 

 kazari (pine decorations) ; and the first seven days of the year are 

 collectively called Matsu-no-iichi, which may be freely translated 

 "pine week." The pine, like the bamboo, has no "blossom" in the 

 Occidental meaning of that word, but is regarded as a "flower" 

 by the Japanese; and these two are venerated because they keep 

 green in winter and their color never fades. Therefore, they are 

 emblems of constancy, endurance, health, and longevity. And, as 

 one writer has informed me, the pine, the bamboo, and the plum 

 are the "three friends in winter" ; and "they are used as the bearers 

 of good wishes for the Xew Year : the pine for longevity, the bam- 

 boo for uprightness, the plum for sweetness." 



The origin of Kado-matsu is very ancient, perhaps so far back 

 as eight hundred and fifty years ago. The two following poems 

 are said to be about eight hundred years old : 



"Kadomatsu no 

 Itonami tatsuni 

 Sono hodo ni 

 Haru akegata no 

 Yoya narijiiiran.'' 



( "While busy decorating the pines at the gate, the dawn of the New Year 

 speedily comes/') 



"Haru ni aeru 

 Kono kado-matsu <vo 

 Wakeki tsutsu 

 Ware -mo chiyo hen 

 Uchi ni iri-nuru." 



(''Passing through the pine-gate that has met the spring so gay, I too 

 have entered into the life of endless years.")* 



* From The Far East. 



