Every country has different ways for the celebration of New Year’s depending upon the tradition and culture of that country. So same is the case with Japan, they have their own ways of welcoming the New Year. The New Year celebration of New Year is known as shogatsu. On 1st Jan there will be public holiday in all over Japan. The first day of a New Year is called as gantan. You can also say that this is the most important holiday in Japan. Everyone is saying Happy New Year to others as well as give greeting to others on this new day of New Year.

There are many things that remain the same every year and are carried with same enthusiasm and love.  One of these things is the making and eating of delicious dishes on this beautiful day. These dishes are mostly packed in the Jubako box. The most favorite and popular dish among all these dishes is mochi dish. You can choose the ingredients of all these dishes depending upon the taste of your family.

There are many other customs and rituals that the Japanese people follow on that special day. One of those is the giving of money to the children. This custom has a special name that is known as otoshidama. So if you are in Japan and someone of your friends invite you to his house to celebrate that day with them then you must have to arrange some money and pack it in some envelops that you can give to the children.

One of the most important things that the Japanese people have to do is to visit the temple or any shrine on the New Year. The Japanese pray for the health, safety and good future for themselves and their family. So on that day the temples and shrines are very much crowded, because almost everyone tries to visit these places on the first day of a New Year. On New Year almost all the business people close their business and celebrate and enjoy the New Year functions and parties. But some of the super stores remain open and they also offer different types of sale on different items.