Lunar New Year Japanese Culture

The first day of january became the official new year s day since five years after the meiji restoration.

Lunar new year japanese culture. However some traditional events of the japanese new year are partially celebrated on the first day of the year on the modern tenpō calendar the last official lunisolar calendar which was used until 1872 in japan. February 12 2018 the lunar new year is known as chinese new year and it is normally celebrated around late january to sometime in february. This new year celebration is based on the gregorian calendar but this was not before 1873.

New year 正月 shōgatsu is the most important holiday in japan. This year lunar new year falls on january 25 and it s the year of the rat. Rat ox tiger.

Years are traditionally viewed as completely separate with each new year providing a fresh start. Since 1873 the official japanese new year has been celebrated according to the gregorian calendar on january 1 of each year new year s day. Do people in japan celebrate lunar new year.

Dragons red envelopes dumplings firecrackers lanterns and rats are all symbolic of festivities tied to lunar new year. Until 1872 japan used to celebrate its new year according to the lunar or lunisolar calendar. In japanese culture the new year must begin on a clean slate.

This year it is on the 25th of january 2020 depends on the country. History says until 1873 during the meiji era 1868 1912 celebration of the japanese new year was based on the chinese lunar calendar. As a result japanese people usually partake in something called oosouji or big cleaning a lot of times every inch of the household is cleaned including places that remain untouched other times of the year.

As millions ring in the lunar new year in southeast asia people will be celebrating by spending time together sharing food and wishing each other good fortune. Japan adopted the lunisolar calendar in the sixth century when it celebrated new year with all its neighboring regions accordingly to this. The japanese new year is an annual festival with its own customs.