Document Revision: by easc@indiana.edu
o-shÇgatsu
"I was born in the year of the ox (according to the Japanese zodiac calendar). My brother-in-law once said to me, 'Are you really a man of the ox year?' The implication was that I was too shrewd (negative connotation, of course), short-tempered, etc. to be a man of the ox year. That was the beginning of the bad relationship between us. |
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"Anyway, Japanese people still talk about those zodiac symbols, but not too seriously. An exception, however, occurred in 1966, the year of the hinoe uma or the 'fire horse,' which comes around every 60 years; then the births dropped by 30 percent! It was because of the superstition saying that the female child born in the year of the fire horse will kill her husband or cause disaster such as a big fire. So much for the zodiac signs.
"The most important thing for Americans to know about Japanese year-end/New Year's holiday is that, for most Japanese people, the holiday season begins when the American one is coming to an end. Unlike in the United States, Christmas is not part of Japan's holiday season, and January 1st is not the end of the holiday, but rather, the beginning of it. Therefore, do not visit your Japanese friends, say, on January 3rd, because they are still in the midst of their most important family holiday. One of your [U.S.] presidents planned to visit Japan in early January. The Japanese government officials panicked. They immediately knew that there was not going to be any New Year's holiday for those involved - from Cabinet members to police officers. The Japanese make meticulous preparations when hosting guests, especially someone from abroad."
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