Over 20 years ago, I left my Japanese family. But I still like Japanese tradition and culture.
I think New Year’s Day is my favorite. When I used to live with my grandparents, they gave me otoshidama (お年玉) every year. Otoshidama is giving gifts of money to children. Because I was the oldest among the grandchildren, I always got the most.
We also ate special foods like Osechi (おせち) and Ozoni (お雑煮). We ordered Osechi in the supermarket and department store. My mom and grandma were not good at cooking. I am not good at cooking either. 😅
Nowadays, I celebrate not only New Year’s Day but also Thanksgiving and Christmas.
Three decades ago, my husband and his parents arrived in the US in December (around Christmas). They went to a Cuban restaurant to celebrate their special day.
Photo by 写真AC