First visit to a shrine - Hatsumode

Japanese: 初詣 - はつもうで

It is a custom to visit shrines and temples early in the morning on New Year's Day, and visiting immediately after hearing the bell tolling on New Year's Eve is called Ni-nen Mairi. It spread nationwide as an urban folk custom, but it was considered especially good to visit shrines and temples in the eho (lucky direction) direction where the god of the new year comes. Eho is based on knowledge of onmyodo and is said to be a direction that brings good fortune. During the Edo period, eho-mairi (first visit of the year) was held on the night of Setsubun, mainly in Kyoto, Osaka, and Edo, but there was also a custom of the head of the household staying in the shrine of the local guardian deity on the night of New Year's Eve, or staying up all night by building a bonfire in front of the shrine.

Source: Heibonsha World Encyclopedia, 2nd Edition Information

Japanese:

正月元旦の早朝，社寺に参詣する習俗で，ふつう除夜の鐘をきいてすぐ参詣に行くのを二年まいりと称している。都会の民俗として全国的に広まったが，とくに年の神のやってくる恵方（えほう）の方角にある社寺に参るのがよいとされた。恵方は陰陽道の知識に基づくもので，幸運のもたらされる方角とされている。恵方参りの初詣は，江戸時代，京，大坂，江戸を中心に，節分の夜行われていたが，一方，大晦日の夜，家の主人が氏神の社にこもったり，社前でたき火をして徹夜する風習があった。

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

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