Shogatsu: The Japanese New Year

The New Year is the most important festival of the Japanese calendar and is officially celebrated Jan 1-3. It has a highly religious tone and centers on the family (that is, within the broader Japanese concept of family).

The Japanese New Year has three stages:

Preparations

Lasting throughout the entire month of December, Japanese participants’ main concern is to renew and purify their surroundings (osoji) in order to ensure the start of the New Year under optimal conditions.

At home: 

A thorough physical cleaning of every room in the house, and a determination of what should be removed (furniture, appliances, clothes, books, toys, souvenirs, etc). Some things go directly into the trash. Others, given their vital spiritual importance to the owners, will end up in the temple and its sacred fire.

 
Payment of all debts in cash or commitments. Debts to be paid by means other than cash are paid via 'Seibo' (New Year gift of appreciation). The 'Seibo' requires careful selection as any discord between the giver and the recipient may cause offense. Tatemae, or face, is highly relevant during this phase.

Decorate home with good luck symbols and stock up on osechi (special food) to be consumed. (Work is reduced to a minimum during this phase.)

With the workplace “family”: 

Complete all unfinished projects. This can result in many extra hours of work for those responsible or it might simply eliminate unnecessary facets of projects (purification of the workplace).

Clean up or clarify the liabilities of the company. Determine who should receive seibo.

Have a year-end party ('bönenkai') where everyone within the workplace hierarchy is treated as equals, forgetting their differences in rank and operating on a basis of absolute equality. This is the moment of truth. Interior purification. 

New Year’s Eve - Dec 31 (omisoka)

Family gathers in the main house around midnight and are served 'soba "or" udon "(long noodles mean long life). It is accompanied by sweet sake, beer and TV.

Buddhist temples are in charge of announcing the start of the New Year by ringing their bells 108 times. Each toll represents the 108 sins or evils which bedevil mankind. The last toll marks the first minute of the New Year.

Dressing up in best formal wear, family goes to the temple for prayers. Await first sunrise of the New Year.

New Year (first days of the year) 

Go to temple. Pray for family’s and society’s well-being. Burn items in sacred fires during hatsumode, first shrine visit of New Year. Burn amulets and seek renewal.

Jan 1, receive cards of good wishes (nengajo) sent by mail. 2.5 billion cards are delivered Jan 1, therefore.

Children receive envelopes with money (otoshi-dama).

Visit friends.

Jan 2, visit Imperial Palace gardens to offer respect and good wishes to the Emperor, who appears on his balcony.

Festivities always end at home with family.