That's no wonder the master is running!
It's been a while since Christmas.
I hope everyone is ready for the New Year.
The title of this issue comes from the Japanese word for December, "師走 shiwasu," which is a reference to the busyness of the end of the year.
Japan adopted the yo-year (new calendar) from the beginning of the Meiji period (1868-1912), and the 12 months are now represented by the numbers January through December. Before that time, however, each month was represented by a Japanese-style month name that gave a sense of the season, and the last month of the year was called "師走". In Japan today, this is applied to the month of December in the yang calendar (new calendar) and used as ""師走" = the Japanese month name for December. (The time of December in the lunar calendar is different from that of December in the yang calendar. The yang calendar is about one month later than the yin calendar. December on the lunar calendar falls around late December to early February of the following year on the yang calendar).
The word "師走" is read as "shiwasu" or "shihasu," and there are many theories as to its meaning, origin, and etymology. The most famous theory is that it is "shi-hasu," meaning "the month when a priest, the master of a Buddhist temple, travels from east to west to give sutras. According to the explanation in the "Iroha Jiryusho" of the late Heian period (794-1185), this "Shi Hasu" is thought to have originated in folk words, and the modern "Shi Hasu" is thought to have been written according to this theory. There is another theory that "Toshihatsu," meaning "the end of the year," was changed to "shihasu," and that the word "shihasu" has been used since the Manyoshu period. There is also a theory that the word "shihatsu" is derived from "shikyoku," meaning the month in which the four seasons end, and "shihatsu," meaning the end of the year, but since the term has been used for over a thousand years, there is no clear origin or etymology.
However, all theories seem to point to the end of the year, when people are busy tidying up and preparing for the New Year.
Now, is there anything that you do at the end of the year in your area? In Japan, it is common to do a big clean-up and remove the dirt of the year before the end of the year. The last day of December is called "大晦日Ooｍisoka,". First of all, why is it called "大晦日Ooｍisoka?" According to the lunar calendar, the last day of each month is called "晦日Misoka," and the last day of December, which is the last day of the year and the most important day of the year, has come to be called "大晦日Ooｍisoka,". The character "晦tsugomori" also means "the day when the moon hides," and so the term came to be used to refer to the last day of each month. It is said that New Year's Eve has been celebrated since the Heian period (794-1185), when preparations were made to worship the "Toshigami-sama," or god of the New Year, who would bring a harvest of grain in the new year. Since it was believed that the god of the year would visit each house, it was common for people to clean the house on New Year's Eve to prepare for welcoming the god of the year, and then stay at home and pray all night without sleeping, known as Toshigomori. With the passage of time, the custom of Toshikomori changed its form, and the visit to the shrine on New Year's Day remained, leading to today's "Hatsu-moude" (New Year's first visit to the shrine). Incidentally, the familiar New Year's decorations of kadomatsu, kagamimochi (mirror-shaped rice cakes), and shimenawa (sacred straw ropes) were also decorated to welcome the god of the year.
Typical New Year's Eve Events
- New Year's Eve Bell
The bell tolling on New Year's Eve is one of the most popular events on New Year's Eve. Many people may feel the end of the year and the beginning of a new one when they hear the bell tolling 108 times between midnight and midnight. The bell is officially called "Bon-sho," which is a Buddhist altar, and its clear tone is said to have the power to break free from suffering and confusion. Some temples are open to visitors, so if you have a chance to ring the bell on New Year's Eve in Japan, why not do so?
- New Year's Eve Soba Noodles
The most popular food on New Year's Eve is "New Year's Eve Soba. It is said that people started eating this dish in the Edo period (1603-1867) to bring good luck for health and longevity because of its long and thin noodles. Soba is also said to have the meaning of "cutting off the year's bad luck," since it is easily broken. Each region has its own unique flavor, such as "Nishin-soba" in Hokkaido and Kyoto, "Echizen-soba" with grated radish in Fukui, and "Okinawa-soba" in Okinawa, so if you are interested, please check them out.
And, well, I have to prepare for New Year's Eve events, so That's no wonder the master is running in December!
I hope everyone will spend a relaxing year-end preparing for the New Year.
I hope to write about New Year's in my next entry.
Have a Happy New Year!