Japanese New Year Essay -- Japan History Holidays Essays

japanese youthful Year IntroductionIn Japan whizz of the nigh celebrated festivals is New Years. The Japanese New Year, or Oshogatsu (), is presumptuousness more preparation than any other festival. There are umpteen traditions and activities that happen at this clip. Oshogatsu is a time to visit temples, forget the troubles of the agone year, and wish for good fortune in the new. Many festivals around this time also reflect the values and ideals of New Years. History During the time of the Empress Suiko (593-628), Japan was influenced greatly by the religion and beliefs of China. In A.D. 604 Japan officially adopt the Chinese calendar. gThe new calendar was a lunar- solar one that has its months base on the lunar cycle. Casal writes gThe month begins when the sun enters the sign of the Fishes the first twenty-four hour period of the year, thitherfore falls on a day between January twentieth and February 19th, and this is much nearer to spring (2). This system was in effect until the penetration of the Gregorian calendar in 1872. This is important because the seasons fall in declination better with the lunar calendar than the modern one. In rural areas, galore(postnominal) farmers still apply the Chinese calendar to their trade. Japanese people believed that the New Year started when the plants began to sprout life again, a new beginning. This happens throughout most of Japan in mid Jan. in line with the lunar calendar. In todayfs society Oshogatsu always falls on the aforesaid(prenominal) day (Jan. 1st), there are other festivals, which fall into the lunar calendar that have the same values of purification and new beginnings. Another influence from China at this time was Buddhism, which had been praised by Prince Shotoku Taishi, and became the official religion in 621.... ...nt from, and happier than, we do on ordinary days.h(Casal 1)BibliographyFestivals.com. 28 Nov. 2003Seattle, Washington,http//www.festivals.com/search/displ ay_event.aspx?eid=mYJmQbyD5jQ%3d&srid=3&page=1&bycountry=1&RID=jp&PROV= http//www.festivals.com/search/display_event.aspx?eid=lvluK1qWwM8%3d&srid=7&page=1&bycountry=1&RID=jp&PROV= (7)Japan Cultural Network Homepage. 28 Nov. 2003http//www.hevanet.com/miyumi/december.htm http//www.hevanet.com/miyumi/january.htmhttp//www.hevanet.com/miyumi/february.htmJapan-Guide.com 2 Dec. 2003Casal, U. A. The Five Sacred Festivals of Ancient Japan. Ruttland, Vermont &Tokyo Japan Charles E. Tuttle Company Inc. 1967Bauer, Helen & Carlquist, Sherwin. Japanese FestivalsDoubleday & Company Inc. Garden City, New York, 1965gHadaka Mairih Akita sakigake (Newspaper) 20 Jan. 2003 (1, 26)