Oshogatsu is almost upon us! Happy Year of the Dragon 2024!

[mermalaide]

Hey everyone!

Hope the holidays are going good, and if not, we are almost over the holiday hump into the
New Year so hang in there! The next holiday upon us for Japan is Oshogatsu, which is a Japanese New Year's celebration that is spread out over three days. It goes from today, December 30th, to January 3rd, and typically schools and most businesses will shut down for the duration. A lot of people visit a shrine on the 1st,2nd, and 3rd, mostly to wish for good health! (Shrine maidens and priests are very busy I am sure!)

A lot of shrines actually tend to get extremely crowded on these days. Packed, really! People tend to go and wish for good health, wealth, and luck for the new year ahead, and they go to get fortunes told, or get charms. One major tradition ( that you might recognize from anime) is watching the sunrise on the first day of the year. People often send out cards, play card games, eat buckwheat noodles on New Year's Eve, and there is a music broadcast that is usually filled with pop idols. 

I will put up a few cultural articles on Oshogatsu sometime today!

I hope everyone is having a really wonderful holiday!