NEW YEAR IN JAPAN.

Taranaki Daily News, 18 December 1929, Page 4 (Supplement)

NEW YEAR IN JAPAN.

IMPORTANT FESTIVAL.

(By

C. Romanne-James).

In Japan, though there is no Christmas, the San-ga-niehi, or three days of New Year, is a very great festival. No one goes to bed on the last day of the old year. The streets and houses are decorated with flags, pine branches, oranges and straw ropes. Over the gate of a house a lobster is often placed, the symbol of old a"e, because of its crooked back. . The food eaten during these happy days is a stew made of fish, gravy, greens and rice; also sugary cakes, of which the children are very On New. Year’s Day Japanese girls play the game of ; shuttlecock and battledore. The battledore, unlike our own, is beautifully ornamented on the back, while the playing side is gilded or.painted.. Boys fly kites of all shapes and colours, representing birds, beasts, fishes and insects. They engage in kite-fights on such an occasion—a performance calling, for great skill. The string which flies the kite, being covered with gum and powdered glass, is brought sharply across the cord of the enemy kite,° which thus falls to earth and becomes the ’property of the victor. After sundown, the streets fill with hondav makers, the grown-up folk dressed in their quiet grey or brown kimonos, the small people in pale green, lilac, scarlet or pink. Men, women and children all enjoy themselves thoroughly, making their way between the street stalls, sampling the sweet stuff, or looking at the peep-shows in the lijgiht of the many coloured paper lanterns which glow against the dark, transparent sky. As the night grows older, wonderful things come to life in the air; golden rain, stars and rockets; great fiery birds and dragons with outstretched wings. , Up and down the sightseers go, softly talking and laughing, watching’ the fireworks, rejoicing in the beauty of the heavens; happy and gay, though never noisy, till long after midnight is passed.