Japanese New Year お正月 and Chinese New Year 新年 - Similarities and Differences
あけましておめでとう！コロナ禍で大変な状況だけど体調には気をつけてね！今年もよろしく！
牛年新年要到了， 新年的一声声贴心祝福， 都能飘进我们的心坎，使人感到温暖。在新年到来之际，祝你在新的一年里， 财源滚滚， 发得像肥牛。
Anybody here who can understand both sentences above?
Chinese New Year is approaching, and as the streets in Singapore get packed up with red and flashy decorations or restaurants playing all your typical hyped-up CNY songs, I have compiled something interesting for you to read.
Japanese and Chinese are two different ethnicities, so I have always thought that our New Year would also be very different. Much to my surprise, there are actually more similarities than differences between our New Year.
Japanese New Year falls on the 1st of January each year, following the Gregorian calendar. Chinese New Year follows the traditional lunar calendar, for instance, the first day of Chinese New Year this year falls on the 12th of February.
What Japanese vs Chinese eat during the New Year
Left: Osechi Ryori おせち料理. Right: Dumplings 饺子
In China, dumplings are a classic and popular dish during the Chinese New Year because it symbolizes wealth. During CNY in Singapore, dumplings are not as commonly eaten. However, most of us would opt for steamboat as it is easier to prepare - all you need is to purchase the ingredients, wash them, and throw in some chicken stock or ready-made soup base into a pot of hot water. Also, a steamboat acts as a great way to gather all your loved ones together over the table - the main purpose of celebrating CNY.
On the other hand, Osechi Ryori is a box(es) of traditional foods enjoyed only during the Japanese New Year. Osechi Ryori cannot be found easily anywhere if not nearing or during the Japanese New Year. Very similar to bento boxes, the dishes used in Osechi Ryori are often very colorful, and the multi-tiered boxes symbolize happiness and wealth come conjointly. Some popular Osechi Ryori dishes include Datemaki (Sweet Rolled Omelette) 伊達巻, Kazunoko (Herring Roe) 数の子, and Pickled Lotus Root (Su Renkon) 酢れんこん.
Left: Grilled Mochi. Right: Sweet Mochi
Mochi is a very popular Japanese New Year snack, and most of my Japanese colleagues have pointed that Mochi is their favorite new year food!
Source: Just One Cookbook
This is Oshiruko - a traditional Japanese red bean dessert made with azuki beans and mochi. Mochi snacks during the Japanese New Year comes in many forms, and Oshiruko is popular among the locals because it soothes their stomach during the cold winter.
As for Chinese New Year, we have all sorts of traditional Chinese snacks that you cannot find easily if not for CNY - which is also why this period is also when many gain tons of weight because the snacks are honestly so difficult to resist!
Japanese New Year vs Chinese New Year Decorations
Two layers of mochi stacked together and topped with a mandarin orange on top is known as the Kagami-mochi. It is used as a traditional Japanese New year decoration. On 11th January, the Japanese will commence Kagami Biraki - where they break the mochi and give thanks to gods.
To the Chinese, the color red symbolizes wealth and luck. Everywhere including the streets outside and our house will be filled with all sorts of CNY decorations - with most of them displaying 福, which also means blessings and good fortunes.
Japanese New Year vs Chinese New Year Traditions
1. Spring cleaning days before the New Year
This rule probably doesn’t apply to only Japanese and Chinese New Year. Both the ethnicities spring clean the whole house days or weeks before the new year to welcome “new-and-bigger” blessings. On the first day of New Year, and sometimes extending two or three days more, families will not sweep the floors as sweeping signifies that you may be sweeping the wealth and happiness away.
2. Otoshidama (お年玉 ) vs Red Packets
Source: Best Living Japan
Young children and teenagers are probably most excited about this.
In celebration of their New Year, Japanese adults put money in a special envelope (this is called Otoshidama お年玉) and gift this to younger children. Normally, Japanese would receive Otoshidama until the age of 20 or once they get a full-time job. This works vice versa. Once you commence your full-time position, you are also expected to give Otoshidama to your younger siblings/relatives. You will (probably) also stop receiving Otoshidama once you are working a full-time job.
For some Japanese families with newborn babies, parents will also send New Year cards with a family photo or a picture of their children as a New Year gift to their relatives and friends.
As for the Chinese, we would offer Mandarin Oranges to our parents and elderly in return for Red Packets (红包). This whole procedure is what we call 拜年. Generally, most Chinese will only start giving red packets to younger children/relatives only when they are married. In recent years, it is also common when children start their full-time jobs, they would give red packets to their parents to thank them for the years of upbringing. However, it is uncommon that unmarried Chinese would give red packets to younger children. It typically “begins” only after marriage.
To cut short, it seems like the main difference between the Japanese New Year and Chinese New Year for this aspect is that the Japanese start giving Otoshidama to younger relatives when they start a full-time job and the Chinese start giving red packets to younger relatives when they are married.
3. New Year’s Eve
Source: Nippon.com
Many individuals and families will gather at temples and shrines for a countdown during the eve of Japanese New Year. This is called the Joya no Kane (除夜の鐘) where the priests will ring the large bell at midnight on New Year’s Eve to symbolize the beginning of another New Year. Some temples and shrines also allow visitors to ring the bell throughout the new year’s eve before midnight arrives.
Do you know what does ringing the bell signifies?
The large bell in the temple and shrine will be rung 107 times during the eve of Japanese New Year by visitors or priests, and ONCE MORE when the clock strikes midnight, making the total count 108. And why 108? According to the Buddhist teachings, 108 represents the 108 worldly desires that one experiences throughout their life. Hence when the bell rings at the 108th time, it is believed that you'll be cleansed of your problems and worries from the previous year.
Some larger temples will even serve visitors Sake, Toshikoshi Soba, or Oshiruko!
Toshikoshi soba
Source: Savor Japan
Of course, some do not like to be squashed like sardines and will prefer to stay home as couch potatoes and enjoy some special New Year TV shows. One of the popular shows during this time of the year is the NHK Kohaku Uta Gassen show!
One of my Japanese colleagues has also pointed that his favorite New Year’s Eve activity with his family is trekking or hiking a mountain and catching the first sunrise of the year!
Forbidden in Singapore, many Chinese families in Malaysia and China would blast firecrackers or mini fireworks when the clock strikes 12. This celebrates the beginning of a brand new year. The loud explosion sounds from the firecrackers are also believed to chase away demons and evil spirits and welcome the new year with a blast.
Some Chinese will also stay up as late as they can after the eve of CNY because it is said that this will bring longevity to your parents.
4. First Day of the New Year
It is super common that temples and shrines will be flooded with people during the first day of the Japanese New Year as many people will visit to pray for good fortune and blessings. You will hence see long queues and lines entering the main hall as everybody will patiently wait for their turn to pray - this procedure is known as Hatsumode (初詣).
Source: Honeycombers
As for the Chinese, we would probably be going around to different relatives’ places to visit, and that is also where we would do Lou-Hei. For those who are unfamiliar, “Lou-Hei” is the act of picking and tossing tons of food ingredients on a big plate. This act of tossing means tossing up a good fortune, and it is believed that the higher you toss, the higher the probability of good fortune. While you toss, lucky CNY greetings or sayings will also be shouted, with the most common being - HUAT AH! Some ingredients will include raw fishes, crackers, pomelos, and many more! Just like Osechi Ryori おせち料理, “Lou-Hei” platter will not be easily found if not nearing or during Chinese New Year.
In all honesty, there are so many more Japanese and Chinese New Year traditions that I feel we can compile it into a part 2 post, but let’s save this for 2022. Though we may not be able to celebrate our CNY as lively as before due to the social distancing measures from COVID, I still hope all of you would appreciate gathering during this joyous occasion with your intimate loved ones!
