A Happy New Year!
I hope you a new year filled with peace, good health and happiness.
↑↑ My mother made a New Year's decoration named "Shimenawa" with lemongrass .
I made a Japanese traditional New Year dishes called “Osechi”.
But, I made only a simple dishes this year…, original New Year dishes are more wonderful!!
This is a wonderful Osechi that my cooking teacher made. It’s amazing!!
↓↓↓
Osechi is specially prepared New Year’s dishes.
That takes a lot of time, but that have a loving feeling!
It used to be the day in which a change of seasons is celebrated long ago.
But now, it’s called “Osechi” only as for the dishes to eat for New Year’s holidays.
We invite gods on New Year’s holidays and we pray for a good harvest in the year and the peace of family.
Osechi is made as an offering to god and it’s offered on the last day of the year.
When the New Year begins, we get hand-downs from god.
This is reflected in the belief that “the kitchen must be kept quiet and that we shouldn’t cook during New Year’s holidays to invite god.
So we made many dishes which keep for a long-time at the end of the year, and it was a custom to eat them on the New Year’s holidays.
Traditional “Osechi” has some auspicious meanings which reflect people’s wishes.
For example….
*The lobster is a symbol of longevity because their bodies are bent like an old man’s.
*Kazunoko(herring roe) is a symbol of fertility because it’s a lump of many small eggs.
*Satoimo(taro) is symbolic of fertility too.
Because taro grow many small potetoes well in soil.
*Kuromame(simmered black beans) symbolizes working hard enough to be burned by the sun.
In other words, it implies a wish for good health.
*Renkon(lotus root) has a lot of holes, so it’s thought to help us see the future clearly.
*Datemaki(sweet omlet) is associated with kimono, because it’s like layers of clothing.
It brings good luck regarding being provided with clothes and cultural prosperity.
Osechi-ryori is beautifully arranged in three or four-tiered lacquer boxes.
It’s represents multilayered happiness and fortune.
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宜しければポチっとお願いします(*^_^*)
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