In Japan, this is the most significant holiday, often celebrated over three days from the 1st to the 3rd of January. It is a time for family and tradition: businesses close up tight, salary men actually get some time off, and families gather for food and drink. The New Year also marks a fresh start and represents a welcome opportunity to begin anew.
With new beginnings there are also a few important "firsts" - hatsu-mode, the year's first visit to the shrine which is usually carried out at midnight on December 31st; and hatsu-hinode, the first sunrise marking the beginning of a new year.
Though we have been a little slack with our first shrine visit, we made sure to wake up early this morning, pack a thermos full of hot cocoa and drive up to Hakone to watch the sun rise over lake Ashinoko.
Hatsu-hinode 2007:
As the sun came over the mountain, the little boy behind me prayed furiously for "a lot of money". His prayer, I'm certain, was focused on the day ahead as it is customary to give money (O-toshidama) to children on New Year's day; O-toshidama can sometimes add up to a few hundred dollars by the end of the day, so this little boy may well have his prayer come true.
I didn't pray for anything in particular, but as the sun rose upon a new year and with the boy's prayers in my ears, I thought of my various New Year's resolutions, and decided that it would be wonderfully simple to worry about nothing more than the day ahead.
1 comment:
Happy New Year. I would like a lot of money too but no one will be giving me any :D
I hope this year brings you more time in the saddle, more time running, more time just doing what you enjoy.
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