ANNUAL EVENTS: OSHŌGATSU
お正月 (The New Year) is a very important annual event in Japan. New Year’s celebrations stemmed from the traditional beliefs surrounding Toshigami-sama (the New Year deity). During the お正月, people would welcome the Toshigami-sama, who was believed to bringing abundance and prosperity to homes, in the hopes of a fruitful harvest in the coming year.
Today, お正月 is often spent with family and relatives, eating foods that bring good luck and visiting shrines or temples to pray for good luck in the new year. Children spend time playing traditional New Year’s games and receiving おとしだま (New Year’s gift of money). These days, more and more people simply take the time off to relax and spend time watching TV or playing games.
Activity Ideas
Enjoy traditional お正月 activities!
- たこあげ
Materials needed: A3 paper (lighter paper is easier to fly), thread/ yarn/ twine, sticky tape
How to make:
(1) Students draw a picture of their liking on the paper. They can write their name in katakana.
(2) Make a ‘mountain fold’ in half with the picture side up.
(3) Make a small hole with a pencil or pen about 10cm from the top. Make sure that the hole is not too big.
(4) Insert the thread through the hole.
(5) Tie a knot on the back side and fix with tape.
(6) On the front side, form a loop and tie it to make a handle.
(7) Students then fly their kites outside, being careful of their surroundings. They can also be displayed in the classroom!
* This is a very simple tako. If you would like to make a more proper kite, please see here.
- ふくわらい
Things to use: Face outline sheet, Facial parts sheet, Expression sheet
*Students can also create their own face outline sheets and facial parts sheets if desired.
Preparation:
(1) Download and print the Face outline sheet.
(2) Carefully cut out the facial parts on the Facial parts sheet along the lines.
How to play：
(1) Make groups of 3-4 and decide on one person to be in charge of pinning the facial parts on the face. That person will be blindfolded.
(2) Others in the group pass the parts to the blindfolded person. Use the expressions in the Expression sheet.
(3) The blindfolded person pins the facial parts on the Face outline sheet. The others in the same group should tell him/her where to pin the parts, using the expressions in the Expression sheet.
(4) Once every part is on the face, take off the blindfold and have a look. What kind of face is completed?
- かきぞめ
かきぞめ has aspirations of improving one’s calligraphy and affirming one’s goals for the year. For this reason, people often write their goals for the year and words of wishes. Please try writing かきぞめ at the beginning of the year.
(Reference)
About paper for かきぞめ → https://syoyu-e.com/article/en/column_en/tools_article_en-en/sizes-of-calligraphy-paper 
RELATED RESOURCES
Resource created by Shoko Adachi (November 2024).
