New Year, or O-Shogatsu, in Japan is one of the biggest and most important holidays of the year. One might say that the festivities begin in December with many Bonenkais - "Forget the Year" parties. From December 29th or so, families then prepare for O-Shogatsu by doing an extensive top-to-bottom house cleaning, which typically includes changing all the light bulbs as well. This big clean up is called O-Soji (Big Cleaning), and is done to prepare to start the year fresh, cleaning out the bad spirits and welcoming the good spirits of the incoming year.
We were, as usual, several days late with our O-Soji, and we didn't change our light bulbs, but we did do a big cleaning and, seriously, there is nothing so conducive to relaxation, creativity and peace of mind as a clean and organized space in which to work and dwell. I really think we should do this more often!
But we don't have any days left to bask in the cleanliness - we're back to work today and will surely be busy tackling 2008!
2 comments:
Sounds like our Spring Cleaning," only a few months earlier. We've been cleaning up after a major upheaval (installed hardwood flooring on most of the floors upstairs)... and I agree, it makes the mind much calmer when cleanliness and organization return.
Sounds like a good way to start the new year. We do our own version - cleaning up before guests come over at Xmas :D
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