Country of Contrasts
If you want to experience something completely different this winter, look out for flights to Japan. Have a break with western tradition and visit Japan for your winter holiday. Japan is a fantastically entertaining and complex country – it’s a little easier to get around these days and people are usually willing to help puzzled tourists. There are some real bargains to be found when looking for cheap flights to Japan. Events and festivals occur all over the country during the winter months so Mount Fuji might be off the agenda, but there’s an abundance of things to hold your attention and keep you happy in the snowy season!
National Holidays and Traditions – New Year to Spring 2011
Japanese people may have lower holiday rates than other countries, but they also have plenty of time out for National celebrations – many of which can be enjoyed and experienced by visitors. Here are a few special dates to note for the first quarter of 2011. There are 15 official holidays in the year – many traditional festive occasions are celebrated throughout the country but they are not recognised as official holidays. If a national holiday falls on Sunday, the following day will be taken as the holiday instead. If a day lies between two national holidays, that day will also be a holidays.
New Year’s Day (shogatsu) – Saturday, 1st January 2011 (national holiday)
This is the most important holiday in Japan. January 1st is designated as a national holiday, but many businesses remain closed through to January 3rd and bank employees are entitled to have the full 3 days leave.
Coming of Age (seijin no hi) – Monday, 10th January 2011 (national holiday)
Throughout Japan households celebrate, praise, and encourage young men and women who have reached the age of majority (20 years old) during the year.
First Day of Japanese Spring (setsubun) – Thursday, 3rd February 2011
Setsubun is not a national holiday, but it is a national celebration. As with the majority of traditional festivals, setsubun is celebrated at shrines and temples in many variations throughout the country. People throw handfuls of roasted beans around the home or shrines and temples. When you throw the beans, you are meant to shout “Oni wa soto! Fuku wa uchi!” (“Devils out, happiness in”). When all the shouting has finished, you eat your age in collected beans. If you are young, not a problem – but someone in their 90’s ends up with a bowlful!
National Foundation Day (kenkoku kinenbi) – Friday,11th February 2011 (national holiday)
In 660 BC the first Japanese emperor was crowned. This national holiday was established to foster good feelings about being Japanese, loving the country and reflect on the establishment and strengths of the nation.
Valentine’s Day Monday – Monday, 14th February 2011
Valentine’s Day is celebrated in Japan. Women offer gifts of chocolate to special male and female friends and there are three types of gift: giri choco (obligatory chocolate), honmei choco (chocolate for the man the woman is serious about) and tomo choco (chocolate for the woman’s female friends). Giri choco is given by women to their superiors in the workplace, as well as to other male colleagues. Woman will often buy a couple of dozen boxes of Giri chocolate to distribute to office colleagues as well as to the men that she might know, Tomo choco is a newish development, having appeared on the commercial scene in the past few years!
White Day – Monday, 14 March 2011
The opposite of Valentine’s Day! Men respond to the women they like with gifts such as white chocolate, white lingerie and white marshmallows. Sometimes the term “sanbai” gaeshi (literally, “thrice the return”) is used to describe the unspoken rule that the return gift should be two to three times the cost of the Valentine’s gift.
Spring Equinox Day (shunbun no hi) Monday, 21st March (national holiday)
Family graves are visited and ancestors are worshipped during the week of the Vernal Equinox Day.
Although Christmas has gained popularity in recent decades, there is still very little Christian influence on proceedings, since only a small percentage of the population practice Christianity. If you are looking to experience a whole new set of traditions this winter season, go all out and take a trip to the incredible country of Japan.