Most Asian countries follow similar traditions. Especially during festivals and celebrations our expressions of festivities and customs are similar.
Let’s take for example the New Year Tradition. Be it the 1st of January or our traditional new years’ day, most of us like to have a fresh new beginning. So we plan ahead and start cleaning a week or 10 days before the New Year or sometimes even just the day before! Japanese also have a similar custom. 大掃除 (oosouji) which literally translates to “big cleaning” is annual cleaning that could involve cleaning homes, school desks, office spaces etc. People throw out clutter and junk and re-organize and clean their space.
Some of us like auspicious beginnings and we start our New Year with a visit to the temple. The Japanese also visit the Buddhist temples or Shrines on New Year’s day. This is called 初詣 (hatsumoude). During their visit, people purchase charms or amulets called お守り(omamori). Another common custom is the purchase of an oracle おみくじ.
Food is no exceptions! Just like us Indians, there is special food or menu for every special occasion. For New Year’s Day, the Japanese prepare and consume a special menu called お節料理 (osechi ryouri). Some of the delicacies in this include だてまき (datemaki) sweet rolled omelette mixed with fish paste or mashed shrimp symbolizing auspicious days, かまぼこ(kamaboko) which is broiled fish cake reminiscent of the Japanese rising sun and こんぶ(konbu) a type of seaweed used to represent joy, among other dishes.
As you can see, learning a language is just not about the vocabulary or grammar. It also include knowing the people that speak it. At Sakuraa Nihongo Resource Centre, we lay a lot of emphasis in understanding the culture and the country along with learning the Japanese language.
Contact us for more details regarding our courses and workshops at :
Sakuraa Nihongo Resource Centre® ph: +91 89043 90300 / +91 80 2346 4677
e-mail : info@snrc.co.in
Wishing you all a very happy new year!
あけましておめでとうございます！
