21st of the 24 solar terms
[Heavy Snow]
Winter has arrived.
The mountain peaks are covered in snow and snow is falling on the plains as well.
As the saying goes, there are reports of heavy snowfall in the northern regions and Sanin region. As we enter December, the year when the saying goes "Teacher runs too," and winter deepens, we can hear the footsteps of the end of the year approaching. There is a day called "Oshogatsu Kotohajime," when people start preparing for the New Year holidays.
■【New Year's Beginnings】
Since the Edo period, the "New Year's Day Beginnings" have been held on December 13th every year, as a day to begin preparations for the New Year. It has been said to be a good day to start new things, and has been the timing to prepare to welcome the New Year's God.
In the past, people would start preparing for the New Year on this day, and would go to the mountains to collect wood and bamboo needed for the New Year, such as for Kadomatsu decorations and firewood for cooking ozōni, and would then switch to a new lifestyle.
Nowadays, many annual and traditional events have become unnecessary due to convenience, and many old customs are no longer practiced. People no longer go into the mountains to gather firewood, and many people no longer cook New Year's dishes or pound rice cakes.
Have you ever noticed that the way you spend New Year's has changed compared to when you were a child?
With many stores closed for the first three days of the New Year (at least January 1st), New Year's gatherings becoming smaller in scale (with only extended family gatherings), and formal greetings such as New Year's cards being dispensed with, it doesn't seem to be as big an event as it once was.
We live in an age where we work hard until the end of the year and can choose from a wide variety of options to suit our lifestyles in the limited time we have. However, when I start cleaning the house at the end of the year to remove the dirt from the past and preparing decorations for the entrance, I think that the essence of human life has not changed from the past to the present.
Enjoy the seasons in your life.
Living in the seasons.
The year-end and New Year holidays are filled with gratitude for the safe completion of the year and the joy of welcoming the new year. As we shake off the dust of this year, we should be aware that we live next to culture, take a deep breath, and welcome the new year.
There's just a little bit left of this year.
The next season after [Taisetsu] is finally [Winter Solstice].
This is the time of year when the daylight hours are at their shortest. When the daylight hours get shorter, people's energy levels tend to drop. With the busyness of the year coming to an end, it's easy to get sick, so start taking care of your health now and prepare for the final sprint before the end of the year.
In the 72 seasonal divisions of the year , "heavy snow" is expressed as follows:
First sign of the season <61st sign "Closed and coming to winter"
The sky is covered with clouds and winter has truly arrived.
The sky changes into that of mid-winter, as if heavy winter clouds were blocking the sky.
Next Season <The 62nd Season "Bears Stay in Their Holes">
This is the time when bears go into their holes to hibernate for the winter.
As the cold weather sets in, the animals living in the mountains gradually go into hibernation.
By the way, bears are described as "hibernating" because their hibernation is a very light sleep and they wake up occasionally.
Last sign (63rd sign "School of trout")
This is the time when salmon that are born in rivers and travel downstream to the sea return to the rivers to spawn.
From the natural scenery of the next season's "Kumachiana," you can imagine a brown bear catching a salmon swimming upstream and holding it in its mouth. This is a familiar scene from documentaries and wooden carvings, but in Hokkaido, brown bears have already entered hibernation at this time, and the salmon's upstream migration is coming to an end.
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As we enter December, the year when the saying goes "even the wise men run," and winter deepens, we can soon hear the footsteps of the end of the year approaching.
The next season after [ Taisetsu ] is finally [ Winter Solstice].
This is the time of year when the daylight hours are at their shortest. When the daylight hours get shorter, people's energy levels tend to drop. With the busyness of the year coming to an end, it's easy to get sick, so start taking care of your health now and prepare for the final sprint before the end of the year.