New Year Scenes in Japan
During the first three days of the New Year (January 1–3), people in Japan traditionally visit a shrine for hatsumode, the first shrine visit of the year, and eat osechi, a set of special New Year dishes, with their families at home. Each dish in osechi carries its own meaning. For example, black soybeans (kuromame) express a wish for good health and diligent work, herring roe (kazunoko) for many descendants, and shrimp (ebi) for a long life. Japan also has the zodiac of twelve animals (jūnishi), and the animal changes every year. It is common to draw that year's animal on New Year's cards (nengajō). 2027 is the Year of the Sheep (or Goat), called hitsuji-doshi in Japanese.
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