Worshipping at a Jinjya on New Year's Day
Jun Yoshizawa from Japan
We go to a Jinjya to worship on New Year's Day. Jinja means a house of gods where we believe various gods live (e.g., business, traffic safety, escaping from evil, and romance. Also we worship to get our wishes.
Sometimes, we wear traditional kimonos on these days, but recently most young men don't wear them. Many women wear them for fashion.
We eat traditioal food called osechi and drink sake. Many women prepare osechi a few days before the holiday. There are eggs, chestnuts, lobsters, and many unique foods of different districts of Japan. We also eat mochi. It is made of a special kind of rice. These days New Year's is the most famous holiday in Japan.
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