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Dragon dances, pink packets full of money, decorations with a brand new animal yearly…all of those are simply recognizable symbols of Lunar New 12 months. Generally that is even known as “Chinese language New 12 months.” The celebrations think of traditions from East Asia, however does that embrace all international locations from the area? Is shōgatsu (正月), Japan’s New 12 months traditions, simply one other phrase for Lunar New 12 months? 

Let’s dive into the small print under! 

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What’s Lunar New 12 months?

Lunar New 12 months is the celebration surrounding the beginning of the lunisolar calendar and the start of spring. It’s an important vacation in China, however additionally it is celebrated in Vietnam, South and North Korea, and international locations with excessive Chinese language populations. Traditions differ between nations, however all place a give attention to welcoming the brand new 12 months, spending time with household, and having fun with particular meals for the vacation.

Historically, Lunar New 12 months is a fifteen-day, nationwide celebration. As a result of it’s based mostly on the lunisolar calendar, the dates are usually not the identical yearly on the Gregorian calendar. In 2023, Lunar New 12 months started on January twenty second, however the 2024 Lunar New 12 months will start on February tenth. Regardless of this wide selection, the primary day of Lunar New 12 months will at all times fall between January twenty first and February twentieth.

Why is the zodiac necessary to Lunar New 12 months? 

It’s possible you’ll be accustomed to the Western zodiac utilized in astrology that’s segmented into 12-month cycles and related to the celebrities and planets. For instance, an individual born between March twenty first and April nineteenth is an “Aries” and an individual born between September twenty third and October twenty second is a “Libra.” Every of those 12 indicators have a wide range of traits with fortune-telling facets equivalent to character and romantic compatibility. 

The Chinese language zodiac consists of 12-year cycles fairly than 12 months. On this zodiac, the 12 months you might be born underneath the lunisolar calendar is your related signal. Every year is tied to one in every of 12 animals:

• Rat: 1912, 1924, 1936, 1948, 1960, 1972, 1984, 1996, 2008, 2020
• Ox: 1913, 1925, 1937, 1949, 1961, 1973, 1985, 1997, 2009, 2021
• Tiger: 1914, 1926, 1938, 1950, 1962, 1974, 1986, 1998, 2010, 2022
• Rabbit: 1915, 1927, 1939, 1951, 1963, 1975, 1987, 1999, 2011, 2023
• Dragon: 1916, 1928, 1940, 1952, 1964, 1976, 1988, 2000, 2012, 2024
• Snake: 1917, 1929, 1941, 1953, 1965, 1977, 1989, 2001, 2013, 2025
• Horse: 1918, 1930, 1942, 1954, 1966, 1978, 1990, 2002, 2014, 2026
• Sheep: 1919, 1931, 1943, 1955, 1967, 1979, 1991, 2003, 2015, 2027
• Monkey: 1920, 1932, 1944, 1956, 1968, 1980, 1992, 2004, 2016, 2028
• Rooster: 1921, 1933, 1945, 1957, 1969, 1981, 1993, 2005, 2017, 2029
• Canine: 1922, 1934, 1946, 1958, 1970, 1982, 1994, 2006, 2018, 2030
• Pig: 1923, 1935, 1947, 1959, 1971, 1983, 1995, 2007, 2019, 2031

Different facets of the zodiac embrace tie-ins to the 5 Chinese language parts (earth, water, fireplace, wooden, and steel). These animals additionally differ barely relying on the nation, equivalent to Vietnam utilizing the cat and buffalo as an alternative of the rabbit and ox.

Does Japan rejoice Lunar New 12 months?

Not precisely. Out of the entire holidays in Japan, New 12 months’s is an important, however that pertains to the Japanese shōgatsu traditions which start on January 1st, following the Gregorian calendar. 

Lunar New 12 months isn’t celebrated in Japan at massive, however there are some areas that placed on occasions. The 2 largest minority teams in Japan are Chinese language and Korean, so these communities proceed to watch Lunar New 12 months following their very own traditions. After Japan’s annexation of Korea in 1910, the Korean inhabitants elevated drastically for the primary few a long time of the twentieth century and plenty of of their descendents dwell in Japan as Japanese residents immediately. In the meantime, Chinese language migration to Japan picked up within the late nineteenth century when Japan opened commerce after a protracted interval of isolation. The three main Chinatowns (or chūkagai 中華街) in Yokohama, Kobe, and Nagasaki proceed to thrive immediately.

Trendy-day Japan doesn’t rejoice Lunar New 12 months the identical means its neighbors do, however a number of shōgatsu traditions are related given their shared historical past. Cleansing the house earlier than the primary day of the brand new 12 months is necessary to brush away the issues of final 12 months in each Lunar New 12 months and shōgatsu (referred to as ōsōji 大掃除, or “large cleansing”). Whereas youngsters celebrating Lunar New 12 months obtain cash in pink envelopes with gold lettering, Japanese youngsters celebrating shōgatsu get their cash in white and pink envelopes (referred to as otoshidama お年玉, or “12 months’s jewel”). It’s possible you’ll discover much more connections the extra you study shōgatsu traditions!

Similar to Lunar New 12 months itself, the Chinese language zodiac has influences in Japan’s New 12 months celebrations. In Japanese, that is known as jūnishi (十二支, twelve branches) or eto (干支, sexagenary cycle) and can be utilized in fortune telling. Nevertheless, the animals additionally play a central function within the New 12 months celebrations of any given 12 months.

2023 is the 12 months of the Rabbit, so rabbits featured in some decorations for the brand new 12 months. Vacation playing cards (nengajō 年賀状), banners, retailer ads, and extra have been adorned bunnies in every single place. 2024 would be the 12 months of the Dragon, so an analogous theme will likely be discovered utilizing photographs of dragons.

On January fifteenth, some Japanese individuals nonetheless observe “Little New 12 months” or koshōgatsu (小正月). This takes place on the primary full moon of the 12 months in a nod to Lunar New 12 months. Households eat a rice and adzuki bean porridge referred to as azukigayu (小豆粥) to rejoice, sticking bamboo cylinders into the dish earlier than consuming. The quantity of rice within the cylinder is alleged to point how bountiful the subsequent 12 months’s harvest will likely be.

In fashionable Japan, that is additionally the day most decorations are taken down and the Japanese god of the New 12 months, toshigami (年神, 12 months god) is bid mata rainen (また来年, see you subsequent 12 months) till subsequent 12 months.

>> Get the information on Japanese honorifics to rejoice each vacation with respect. 

Why did Japan largely cease celebrating Lunar New 12 months?

Japan has a protracted and storied historical past with China. Commerce and diplomatic relations between the 2 international locations date way back to the start of the frequent period. China launched Buddhism, structure, rice cultivation, and even the writing system nonetheless used immediately (kanji 漢字). The kan- in kanji itself means “China”! 

Lunar New 12 months was no exception. The Chinese language lunisolar calendar was launched to Japan within the sixth century, and it continued for use in some kind over a thousand years with some uniquely Japanese additions.

Nevertheless, in 1873, Japan deserted this calendar in favor of the Gregorian calendar in an effort to match the Western world. After a protracted interval of isolation between 1603 and 1868 (referred to as the “Edo Interval”), Japan started buying and selling and constructing relations with nations from Europe and the Americas as soon as once more. They went to nice lengths to align their authorities, economic system, and different main establishments to extra carefully resemble Western fashions. 

As part of this modification, Lunar New 12 months was put apart and shōgatsu started on January 1st from that time onward. Even so, the Chinese language zodiac stays, in addition to different reflections of Lunar New 12 months traditions.

The place can you discover the remaining Lunar New 12 months celebrations in Japan?

Simply because Japan now not celebrates Lunar New 12 months nationwide doesn’t imply you possibly can’t discover celebrations in Japan! Communities all through Japan maintain Lunar New 12 months occasions in locations equivalent to:

• Yokohama: The largest Chinatown in Japan has held Lunar New 12 months celebrations since 1986. In years previous, there have been lion and dragon dances down the streets, acrobatics and martial arts showcases, and parades.
• Nagasaki: The oldest Chinatown in Japan, Nagasaki’s Lunar New 12 months competition goes past the Chinatown space to a variety of venues all through town in a celebration of Chinese language tradition. Referred to as the Nagasaki Lantern Competition, it options over 15,000 lanterns.
• Kobe: Nankinmachi (Kobe’s Chinatown) has additionally featured a big number of Lunar New 12 months occasions since 1987, together with lion and dragon dances, musical performances, and extra.
• Tokyo: The Chinese language neighborhood is flourishing in Ikebukuro, a district in central Tokyo. Whereas not an official Chinatown, you possibly can nonetheless discover Chinese language outlets and eating places celebrating Lunar New 12 months, and it’s an awesome place to attempt some genuine Chinese language meals.

Lunar New 12 months celebrations at all times finish with the Lantern Competition on the fifteenth day of the brand new 12 months. Homes are adorned with lanterns, dances and parades are carried out, and fireworks are lit to start the brand new 12 months with a bang.

>> Choose up some Japanese dialog fundamentals for whenever you attend these celebrations!

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Lunar New 12 months might not be central to Japanese tradition, however its longstanding affect remains to be current. And if you end up in Tokyo or Nagasaki throughout the vacation, why not take part on the enjoyable? 

For conversations about Japanese holidays and past, get began with Japanese on Rosetta Stone! Its Dynamic Immersion methodology and TruAccent speech-recognition engine have you ever studying Japanese naturally from the very starting. Moderately than emphasizing rote memorization, you’ll choose up Japanese in the identical means you first discovered your native language. 

Written by Alexa Bevan