Teething ring - Hagatame

This is an event held in New Year and June to pray for longevity. Since the Heian period, at the Imperial Court, a meal of foods such as daikon radish, melon, and pressed sweetfish was presented to the Emperor from New Year's Day to the 3rd. This is also recorded in The Tale of Genji and The Pillow Book. As a folk custom, in Kami and Shimoina counties of Nagano Prefecture, on New Year's Day, the whole family drinks tea together with snacks such as skewered persimmons, pounded chestnuts, and beans, which is called "hatagatame." In Hiroshima and Tottori prefectures in the Chugoku region, people also eat pounded chestnuts and candy on New Year's Day, which is called "hatagatame." Hatagatame on June 1st is also seen all over the country. Already in the late Edo period, "Toijō Kotae," a book of questions and answers about the customs of various provinces, a reply from the Shiroko domain of Ise Province states that New Year's Kagami mochi is stored away and eaten. Even today, in the Ogawara area of ​​Tohoku Town, Kamikita County, Aomori Prefecture, on Teeth Hardening Day, June 1st, people eat the Kagami mochi offered at the New Year's altar the morning of the day to harden their teeth. They eat it as is, without baking, but there are also quite a few people who bake it. In Oshika County, Miyagi Prefecture, it is said that New Year's mochi is stored in a mortar and baked and eaten on Teeth Hardening Day, June 1st.

[Oto Tokihiko]

Source: Shogakukan Encyclopedia Nipponica About Encyclopedia Nipponica Information | Legend

正月と6月に長寿を願って行われる行事。宮中では平安時代以来、元旦(がんたん)より3日まで天皇に大根、瓜(うり)、押鮎(おしあゆ)などの歯固めの膳(ぜん)が差し出された。『源氏物語』や『枕草子(まくらのそうし)』にもこのことは記されている。民間における習俗としては、長野県の上(かみ)、下伊那(しもいな)郡では、元旦に串柿(くしがき)、搗栗(つきぐり)、豆などを茶うけとして家族一同で茶を飲むことを歯固めといっている。中国地方の広島県や鳥取県などでも、正月に搗栗や飴(あめ)を歯固めといって食べる。6月1日の歯固めも全国各地にみられる。すでに江戸末期の『諸国風俗問状答(といじょうこたえ)』にある伊勢(いせ)国白子(しろこ)領の答書によると、正月の鏡餅(かがみもち)をしまっておいて食べるとある。現在でも青森県上北(かみきた)郡東北(とうほく)町小川原(おがわら)地区では、6月1日歯固めの日に、正月神前に供えた鏡餅をこの朝食べて歯固めをする。焼かずにそのまま食べるが、焼いて食べる者もかなりあるという。宮城県牡鹿(おしか)郡では、正月餅を一臼(うす)そのまま保存しておき6月1日の歯固めの日に焼いて食べるという。

［大藤時彦］

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