Eat and Suck

... Sometimes, celebratory sculptures such as cranes, turtles, and Igumo are added to this. In Kyoto and Osaka, it was placed on the alcove as a decoration during the New Year, but in Edo, Horai was also called "Kuitsumi" and it was customary to offer it to guests at the beginning of the year, who would then accept it a little, bow, and place it back in its original place. It was believed that eating even a small amount of the Horai decoration would extend one's lifespan.

*Some of the terminology explanations that mention "Kuiseki" are listed below.

Source | Heibonsha World Encyclopedia 2nd Edition | Information

…これに鶴亀や尉姥などの祝儀物の造り物を添えることもある。京坂では正月の床の間飾として据えおいたが，江戸では蓬萊のことを〈喰積（くいつみ）〉ともいい，年始の客にまずこれを出し，客も少しだけこれを受けて一礼してまた元の場所に据える風があった。蓬萊の飾物を少しでも食べると寿命がのびると信じられたのであった。…

※「喰積」について言及している用語解説の一部を掲載しています。

出典｜株式会社平凡社世界大百科事典 第２版について | 情報