Japanese Holidays in February

Holidays in February
日本の二月の祝日
二月の祝日
• February 3: 節分 Setsubun
• February 11: 建国記念の日 National
Foundation Day
• February 14: バレンテインデー Valentine’s
Day
• February 18: 中国の新年 Chinese New
Year (日本の正月 - January 1)
節分 - Setsubun
• Marks the beginning
of Spring
• まめまき – “throwing
of beans”
• Celebrations at
temples and shrines
節分の習慣
• 「鬼は外！福は内！」 - “Demons out! Luck In!”
• At temple/shrine celebrations, celebrities and
priests throw small prizes out to the crowd.
• Families put up small decorations of fish heads
and holly leaves on their house entrances.
• People also eat the same amount of soy beans
as their age, plus one for bringing good luck for
the year to come.
• People eat uncut maki-zushi while facing the
yearly lucky compass direction, determined by
the zodiac symbol of that year.
建国の記念の日-National Foundation Day
• Japanese celebrate the founding of the nation and
the imperial line by its mythical first emperor, Jimmu.
• National Foundation Day did not become an official
holiday until January 1873, when Japan switched
from its lunisolar calendar to the Gregorian calendar.
• Originally, the holiday was named Kigensetsu (紀元
節 -Empire Day)
• Kigensetsu was abolished following World War II
because of its reliance on Shinto mythology and its
reinforcement of the Japanese nobility. It was reestablished as National Foundation Day in 1966.
バレンテインデー Valentine’s Day
日本でバレンテインデーの習慣
• 義理チョコ - Giri Chocolate – “Obligation
Chocolate”, Women give to male co-workers
and/or classmates.
• ほんめいチョコ – Honmei Chocolate, which is
given to a person someone loves or has a
strong relationship with.
• Friends, especially girls, exchange chocolate
that is referred to as tomo-choko (友チョコ)
• Men give Chocolate to women on White Day
(March 14).
Chinese New Year - 中国の新年
日本で中国の新年 – Chinese New Year’s in
Japan?
• In ancient times, the Japanese followed
the Chinese/Lunar calendar.
• Since 1873, the Japanese follow the
Gregorian calendar and celebrate the New
Year on January 1st called Shogatsu -正月.
正月
正月の習慣
• お節料理 – osechi ryouri – eating of special selection of
New Year’s Dishes
• 年賀状 – nengajou – sending of New Year’s cards
(usually with the animal of the year) to friends and family
• お年玉 – otoshidama –giving pocket money to children
• もち – making of sweet rice cakes
• Poetry – usually about the firsts of the year
• Games – hanetsuki(badminton), takoage (kite flying),
koma (top), sugoroku(board game), fukuwarai (A
blindfold person places paper parts of a face on a paper
face, karuta(card game),
• Firsts of the Year – 1st sunrise, 1st dream, 1st visit to a
shrine or temple, etc.

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