1月11日に鏡餅を割って、お雑煮やお汁粉にして食べます。11日にもなると、鏡餅は固くひび割れてきますが、縁起物なので刃物で「切る」ことを酒、手や槌でたたいて割ります。
Kagami biraki
Kagami-biraki is an event that occurs on January 11 to split open the kagami-mochi and make zoni or shiruko(azuki bean soup) with it. By the 11th, kagami-mochi hardens and cracks,but, since it is a good luck charm, “cutting” it with a sharp edge is avoided and it is split by hand or with a hammer.
１月７日（人日の節句）の朝に、セリやセズナなど「春の七草」をいれてたいたお粥「七草粥」を食べ、１年の健康（無病息災）を祈願します。
Nanakusa-gayu(Seven-herb rice porridge)
On the morning of January 7, kayu(rice porridge) with the seven spring herbs, such as Japanese parsley and shepherd’s purse, are eaten as a custom to pray for the health in the year.
お正月とは1年の最初の月のことですが、普通１日から７日までの松の内（正月の飾りを飾っている期間）または１日から３日までをこうよびます。
Shogatsu(New Year)
Although shogatsu literally means the first month of the year, it generally indicates matsuno uchi(January 1-7,during which New Year’s decorations are displayed) or first three days of January.
＜お正月にまつわること＞
■門松
年神様をお迎えするための目印として、新年に家の門や入り口の両側に立てるもの。門松は、松の枝を組み合わせて作った飾りに竹や梅がそえられたものです。松は長生きの象徴でもあります。
Kadomasu
A pair of decorations put at both sides of the gates or entrances of houses in order to summon the year got.Kadomatsu are decorations made with assembled pine branches enhanced by stems of bamboo and sprays of plum trees.Pine is used as a symbol of longevity.
■しめ飾り
しめ縄と同様に、お正月に家の入り口に飾るもので、魔除けの意味があります。わら、紙四手のほか、縁起のよい飾りがついています。正月が終わると門松などと一緒に神社へもっていき、焼いてもらいます。
Shimekazari
A decoration displayed at the entrances of houses during the New Year like shimenawa as a charm against evil spirits.Straw,kamishide and good luck charms are attached.When the New Year period ends, this Shimekazari , Kadomatsu and the othe decorations are taken to Shinto shrines and burned.
■しめ縄
正月に家の入り口にかけて、不浄なものの侵入を防ぐもの。
Shimenawa
A decoration put over the door of a house during New Year period to keep the evil out.
■鏡餅
大小の丸い餅を２つ重ね、神様のお供えするもの。昔、鏡は丸く、人の魂を映す神聖なものとされていたことに由来します。
Kagamimochi
A set of two rice cakes, one large and one small, stacked one on top of the other as an offering to the gods. In old times, all mirrors(kagami) were round and considered sacred objects that reflected one’s spirit.
■初日の出
神道では太陽を最も神聖なものであるとされていることから、新年最初の日の出を拝み、一年の健康と幸運を祈願します。
Hatsuhinode(the sunrise on New Year’s Day)
As the sun is considered to be the most sacred object in Shinto, people worship the sunrise on New Year’s Day to pray for health and happiness in the new year.
■初詣
新年になって初めて寺社にお参りし、その年の健康と幸運を願うもの。
Hatsumode
During the New Year period, people go for the first temple or shrine visit of the year to pray for health and happiness in the new year.
■初夢
正月２日の夜に見る夢。「一富士二鷹三なすび」というのがめでたいとされる夢の順番です。
Hatsuyume
Hatsuyume is the dream that occurs the night of New Year’s Day to the morning of the 2nd. A saying states that the best order for the dream’s subject matter is:”first,Mt. Fuji;second,hawks;third,eggplants.”
■お屠蘇
その年の邪気をはらい、長寿を祈願して年始に飲むお酒。
Toso
A special sake people drink on the New Year’s Day to prevent illness in the new year and pray for the longevity.
■お雑煮
雑煮は、餅や野菜を入れた汁で、新年を祝うためにお正月に欠かせない料理の１つです。関東地方の雑煮は四角い餅を入れたすまし汁仕立て、関西地方の雑煮は丸い餅を入れた味噌仕立てというのが一般的です。味付けや中に入れる具は、地方や家庭に寄って異なるのが雑煮の特徴です。
Zoni(Soup with rice cakes and vegetables)
Zoni is a soup with rice cakes(mochi) and vegetables and is an essential dish for celebrating the New Year. In the Kanto area, zoni is generally prepared as a clear soup with square kochi, while Kansai , it is made with bean paste and round mochi.
But the seasoning and othe ingredients are different according to each region and household.
神道の神の前で行われる結婚式。神主は新郎新婦をはじめ、
Shinzen kekkonshiki(Shinto wedding)
Wedding ceremony held in front of the deities of Shinto.The Kannushi, a Shinto priest, purifies the attendants with heisoku and recites a celebratory prayer in a distinctive tone. Then the groom reads out the oath of marriage.
盆栽は、小型化した鉢植えの樹木を育てる日本の芸術様式です。美しい姿にするために水やり、剪定、針金かけ、芽摘み、草刈り、植え替えなど様々な技法が用いられます。
盆栽の小さな鉢の中には、日本の雄大な自然が表現されています。
Bonsai
Bonsai is the Japanese art form of growing miniature potted trees. To make them beautiful, various methods are used: watering, pruning, wiring, bud picking, leaf trimming, and repotting.
Though bonsai is grown in a small pot, it expresses the great nature of Japan.
枯山水は、水を使わずに、砂で海や川を表し、岩で山や島、船、竜などを表現する庭園様式です。主に禅寺の庭にみられます。
Karesansui
Karesansui is the dry garden in which the oceans or rivers are represented by sand without using water. Rocks are used to symbolize mountains , islands, boats or dragons. Karesansui gardens are seen mainly in Zen temples.
畳は、日本在宅の床上に敷くもので、欧米で言えばじゅうたんのようなものに当たります。わらで作った厚床の上にい草などで織った畳表をつけたもので、一畳は約1.8×0.9m。畳の上は靴、スリッパなしで歩きます。
Tatami
Tatami are sturdy straw mats approximately 1.8×0.9 m in size and used for flooring in the traditional Japanese room, comparable to Western carpeting. They are made of thick layer of bundled straw covered with a woven rush covering, and shoes and slippers are removed before entering a tatami room.
てぬぐいは綿製の和式のハンドタオルです。てぬぐいの起源は古代にさかのぼりますが、日用品として利用されるようになったのは、日本での綿の生産が大幅に増加した江戸時代でした。てぬぐいは長方形をしており、様々な伝統的な意匠が描かれています。
Tenugui
Tenugui is a Japanese hand towel made of cotton. Its origins date back to ancient times, but it became a popular everyday item in the Edo Period, when cotton production greatly increased in Japan.A tenugui is rectangular in shape, and usually bears various traditional Japanese designs.
風呂敷は、スカーフに似た長方形の布です。絹や綿製で、主に物を包んだり運んだりするために用いられます。
江戸時代、銭湯（公衆浴場）へ持って行く下着や、銭湯で脱いだ着物を包むために使われるようになったことから「風呂敷」とよばれるようになりました。
風呂敷は様々な形に折りたたむことができるので、大小様々な大きさのものを包むことができます。また、使わない時には小さく折りたたむことができます。風呂敷は繰り返し使えるので環境に優しいです。
Furoshiki
Wrapping cloths(Furoshiki) Furoshiki are square cloths resembling scarves and are used to wrap and carry things. They are made of silk or cotton.
In the Edo Period, they came to be called “furoshiki”(bath-wrapping cloths), because they were used to wrap one’s underclothes when going to the public bath or to wrap one’s clothes while there.
Furoshiki can be folded in various shapes. So you can wrap items of various sizes of things, and fold it up compactly when not in use. Furoshiki can be used repeatedly, so it is eco-friendly.
日本刀は、日本独自の方法で鍛えた刀で、その優れた切れ味と美しさは海外にも早くから知られていました。片刃で反りがあるのが特徴です。柄の根元には、敵の刀を受け止めたり、柄を握る手を守ったりするため、つばという金具を入れます。
Nihonto / Katana
Nihonto are a Japanese swords tempered with a peculiarly Japanese method, and early on they became known overseas for their superior sharpness and beauty. Their main feature is that it is single-edged and slightly curved. At the bass of the hilt, there is a metal piece called a sword guard which serves to ward off an opponent’s katana and to protect the hands gripping the hilt.
