New Year's Eve - Toshikoshi

Japanese: 年越し - としこし

The boundary between years. Also the night before the new year and the events held at that time. Due to changes in the calendar, the date of the boundary between years has moved to the last day of December, the night before Koshogatsu, or the night before Setsubun, or the beginning of spring. On this day, New Year decorations such as toshinawa, toshidana, and kagami mochi are set up, and preparations are made to welcome the New Year's god. People go to the shrine to stay in seclusion, or in their homes, they light a big fire in the hearth and stay up all night. At temples, bells are rung on New Year's Eve. New Year's was originally an opportunity to worship the spirits of ancestors, just like Bon, but since it came to be considered a happy festival, many places hold the soul festival at the end of the year. At shrines, a great purification ceremony is held. In the past, one day was from one sun setting to the next sun setting, so the night of New Year's Eve was already New Year's, so people sometimes sit down to a formal meal after dinner. This is the toshikoshi meal, and today people eat a fish with its head and tail still attached, which is just a token gesture. In addition, the custom of eating toshikoshi soba noodles, which was popular in Edo, has taken root and become commonplace. Note that the day on which a feast is eaten may also be called something-or-other-year-old's-year, for example, the day before the seven herbs festival being called the sixth day of toshikoshi.

Source: Encyclopaedia Britannica Concise Encyclopedia About Encyclopaedia Britannica Concise Encyclopedia Information

Japanese:

年の境。また新年前夜やそのときの行事。暦法の改変によって，12月末日，小正月の前夜，節分つまり立春の前夜などと，年の境の期日は移動している。この日は，年縄，年棚，鏡餅などの正月飾りをすませ，門松も立て終り，歳神を迎える準備を整えて鎮守に行って年籠りをするとか，家々ではいろりに大火を焚いて起き明かすなどの行事を行なった。寺では除夜の鐘を打つ。正月はもとは盆と並ぶ祖霊祭の機会であったが，めでたい祭りと考えるようになったため，暮れのうちに魂祭をすませるところが多い。神社では大祓 (おおはらえ) をする。昔は太陽が沈んでから次に沈むまでを1日としたので，年越しの夜はすでに正月に入っており，そのため夕飯がすんでからあらためて正式食事の膳につくことがある。これが年越膳で，今日では形ばかりの尾頭つきの魚を食べたりする。また，江戸で流行した年越そばを食べる習慣が根づいて一般化している。なお，単にごちそうを食べる日を何々年越しと呼ぶこともあり，七草の前日を六日年越しなどと呼ぶのはその一例である。

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