Happy New Year!

[Stan Sakai]

Or, Akemashite Omedetoo Gozaimasu.

Sharon and I are both third generation Japanese-Americans (sansei), but we still follow many of the traditions for New Years.

Last night Sharon cooked the kuromame (black beans) which signifies health in the new year. We also ate soba (buckwheat) noodles for long life. You can eat it hot or cold (we ate hot). My mother would make tempura as a side dish, and Sharon continues that tradition from my family. We also stayed up to watch Regis Philbin and the glass ball drop in New York's Time Square at midnight. In Japan, the temple bells are rung 108 times to signify the 108 sins. It used to be televised throughout the country (like the Times Square ball), but I do not know if that is still the case.

We woke up early this morning and ate our ozoni. It's a soup, traditionally made with an odd number of ingredients--5, 7, or 9. Each area makes their own type of ozoni. My father is descended from fishermen so I grew up with a seafood based soup with clams. Sharon's family came from farmers (her maiden name is "Ota", which means "Big Field"), and she makes a chicken based ozoni which is delicious. We also ate kuromame, kazunoko (fish roe), and drank tea with ume (pickled plum).

As I said, we woke up early (3:45) not because of tradition, but because Sharon's sister and her family are visiting and left early to see the Rose Parade here in Pasadena. Sharon and daughter Hannah accompanied them. Son Matthew and I are going to work with his Boy Scout troop. They provide parking for the float viewing. The church they hold their meetings is about a half mile from the termination of the parade and the float viewing. This is their major troop fund raiser. Also the boys are paid for their hours in credit which can be applied towards fees or equipment, and the troop tithes part of the money to the church.

That's what we usually do on New Year's. How about you? Do you have any New Year traditions?

[tOkKa]

-->> ..have a fun rose parade and don't get in any fights..!!


HAPPY NEW YEAR TO ALL OF YOUSE GUYS AND MR.SAKAI..


..keep yir nose clean n' stay outta trouble..

(..my new years tradition is post annoying lil' sprite rips on the forums..)

[tOkKa]

Or, Akemashite Omedetoo Gozaimasu.

-->> THAT's what Usagi tells Leonardo in the TMNT x-mas episode !! ..somethin' like that..

..o wow

[Andy]

My son Daniel really enjoys being in Boy Scouts. He almost has his First Class rank. H even goes on the Polar Bear Campouts -- sleeping in a tent in 16 below!

We usually have some friends over and play games. We played Mad Gab, Guesstures and Outbursts. Then we turn the tv on watch the ball drop. Although, just before that David Letterman show had someone drop a plastic turkey off a building into a tub of gravy! Maybe he's trying to start a new tradition!

At midnight my wife and I smooch.

That's it for our traditions!

[Steve Hubbell]

Akemashite Omedetoo Gozaimasu

No traditions here, worked yesterday evening, went home and watched Law and Order SVU until Midnight, watched the celebration on NBC ( who was Jay Leno smooching with?), Then went to bed. In a little bit, I get to go back into work and earn some holiday pay.

Between the drunk drivers and all the patrols out to catch the drunk drivers, it was easier and safer to just stay home last night.

As for New Years Resolutions.. Didn't even think about one... I quit smoking a little over two years ago, and I quit drinking (alcohol) sometime back in the last millennium. I guess I'm just not ready yet to give up my Mountain Dew.

Omédetō,
Tanóshimù

[ziritrion]

Omedetoo!

How about you? Do you have any New Year traditions?

Indeed. Many years ago, Spain had an extremely good vintage and a huge surplus of grape. Back then there were no greenhouses, and you couldn't find fruit beyond their season (grape's is september-october.) Since all the grape for the season was already sold, the farmers had no idea of what to do with the surplus, and came up with a funny idea: on december 31st, by midnight, when the churches would all ring their bells 12 times, everybody should eat one grape per ring. They started to publicize their idea and it catched on.

Nowadays, every New Year's Eve, everybody in Spain has 12 grapes on their tables as they wait for the bells to ring. All the TV stations broadcast from any certain church or any other building with a ringing bell for pointing out the time. Spain's public TV broadcasts from Madrid's Plaza del Sol (the "center" of Spain: all of the main roads and driveways begin in Madrid, and they all set kilometer zero on that square,) and you can see everybody in the Plaza with their little plastic dish filled with grape and glasses with cava (Spanish champagne.)

Of course, they built a legend around the grapes: if you're able to eat them all in time (that is, one grape per ring) then you'll have a prosperous new year. There's a time gap of 2 or 3 seconds between each ring, so everybody tries to eat them all as fast as possible while avoiding death by hysterical laughter when seeing everyone else's mouths filled with grape and grape juice coming out of their mouth. There're also "cheaters" (like me,) who like to peel the grape and take out the seeds to avoid choking. Actually, I think that taking out the seeds chould be mandatory, because avoiding seed crossfire of people who cannot hold 5 or more grapes in their mouth at the same time can become somewhat difficult .

Once everybody has eaten their grapes, swallowed them, and 5 minutes after the new year begun congratulate their friends (you can't talk with your mouth full!), most people go out at night. Unfortunately, lots of people confuse having fun with drinking a lot, and avoiding vomits on the streets in New Year's Eve has become almost a tradition (guessing what people has eaten before has become one too .) All stores and almost all services are closed down on january 1st by law, so you have to plan what you'll be doing that day if you want to avoid boredom. Going to a ski resort for the day instead of going out by night is becoming pretty popular too. This year, I chose to party with my friends, and went to sleep by 8 a.m. It was lots of fun .

[Stan Sakai]

Or, Akemashite Omedetoo Gozaimasu.

-->> THAT's what Usagi tells Leonardo in the TMNT x-mas episode !! ..somethin' like that..

..o wow

Or perhaps it was "kurisumasu omedeto." or "merry Christmas."


I also called Sharon's cell, my parents, and my mother in law, because the first caller or visitor of the new year has to be a male. I don't know why this tradition got started.

[takematsu]

Traditions were put aside in favour of going to bloody work at 7am on the first. On the other hand, by avoiding some traditions, specifically...

We also ate soba (buckwheat) noodles for long life.

...I avoided dying of an allergy to buckwheat

H even goes on the Polar Bear Campouts -- sleeping in a tent in 16 below!

Hmmm. This morning when I got up it was -32c. Lessee... in fahrenheit, about -25. Sturdy child! Obviously, one of the big New Years traditions around these parts is counting fingers and toes after getting back from the party

[Usagi]

Akemashite Omedetoo Gozaimasu! .....

Well this year was acctually lonely for me. I was looking forward to celibrating thr new year with my (now Ex) boyfirends Family.
We were going to go down to Columbas GA and go to his grandparints house to eat Black Eyed peace and grean beans,<-- Southren thing- many people have differnet meaning for them though.
Black Eyed Peas and String beans mean for good health and good Money.
Black eyed peas mean to my family, how many pennys you will recive. LOL- So it all depends.

We were also goingot watch the big peach Drop, like every year, and I thought for the first time I would get a new years Kiss<-- but no....that was the plan though. And its our basic New year trodition, and have a beer or two

But this year, I just stayed home and watched Movies, with my sister, brother and firend, Amanda. we watched "nepolian Dinomite"<-- Funny Movie! and we played DDR till the new year rang in.

Because its new years, we are alloud to drink, I had 2 beers. but that was it, I know my limite. After that all I called everyone I knew And wished them all a happy new year , then I went to bed.

New years Day, I had my Second Christmas, with my mom and stepdad. because I was with my Dad on Christmas this year.

I got the last two Flogging Molly Cd's Iv been dieing for and a new house coat<-- Joy!

[Hayai]

Happy New Year!

I'm not going to pretend I know Japanese, although I do recognize "Gozaimasu".

I'm new here, so I'll tell you a little about myself. I hope that's okay.

I'm 19 and a freshman in college. I like video games, making/designing things, and running. I'm also the descendant of a samurai. At least that's what my grandma says.

I'm a quarter Japanese. My grandma, from Tokyo, came to the US after WWII, and my grandpa was a soldier in the US Army.

My grandma was a stage actress, when they met after the war. My grandpa was helping with the reconstruction efforts when they met in Tokyo. Later they married, against US military rules, and came to the US, after first living in France. My uncle was born in Yokohama, but my mom, the next in line, was born in Seatlle. She did live in Okinawa for a while though. She actually lived there at three different stages in her life, including part of highschool. She also lived in New Jersey, Illinois, Washington, and Kodiak Island which is one of the Aluetian Islands of Alaska.

I wish I knew Japanese. My mom knows a little, and she tried to teach me when I was young, but we got too busy and gave it up. One of the only words I remember from back then is usagi. I put it into Google today, and found this site.

My family doesn't really have any New Year traditions except visiting our grandparents. My grandma has a sattelite that allows her to watch Japanese TV, so I've been able to watch the celebrations on NHK the past couple of years. NHK is the only channel she can get, though. It's a public channel. My sister is in Japan right now, actually, and she got to be on NHK. I missed it because it was before I got to my grandparents house and likely aired before she told us about it anyway. I hope she can get a tape of it, but it's unlikely.

Anyway, I hope everyone has a happy New Year. I'm not sure if I'll have much time to come back here much, but I hope I can.

[Sebastian]

Szczęśliwego Nowego Roku!

I hope that this year's going to be a good one, a happy year, a better year for all of us.

[Thommo]

Yes, this "male first" tradition is present also here in Croatia, but here it's important that first person who enters in the house is male, or a boy!

[ookami]

Feliz Año Nuevo!! Happy New Year!! To every one!

Once everybody has eaten their grapes, swallowed them, and 5 minutes after the new year begun congratulate their friends (you can't talk with your mouth full!), most people go out at night. Unfortunately, lots of people confuse having fun with drinking a lot, and avoiding vomits on the streets in New Year's Eve has become almost a tradition (guessing what people has eaten before has become one too .) .

Yeah I'd noticed that too! Wouldn't wanna be a road sweeper on the 1st of January in Madrid. But heck it's like that pretty much every weekend in Madrid. Thank the Kami for high pressure hoses.
This year we went to my partners mother for dinner. We had the 12 grapes, I was the only one who ate them in time. But instead of cava we had sidra. (Cider). I didn't know about the whole 1st call has to be a male. But I called my dad so I guess I can count myself lucky?!
Then my partner and I went out for 'A' drink with some friends and we ended up at 5:30 am chatting over pints of Guiness in a really nice Irish Pub, (all the other bars and discos were hell!) We got home about 6:30 and I slept like a log untill 11:00. We ate left overs from the night before for lunch. (I still really miss the turkey! But we had lamb so I'm not complaining!)

Thank you Sensei for the insight on Japanese New Year traditions. Maybe we'll try that next year?!
Akemashite Omedetoo Gozaimasu.

[Blambot]

Spent a long quiet day at home with my wife, drawing and watching DVDs.

I did buy myself a reproduction Shingunto to add to my collection of katanas though.



(Shingunto closest to camera. The katana behind it is my oldest iaito)

~N

[Stan Sakai]

Yeah I'd noticed that too! Wouldn't wanna be a road sweeper on the 1st of January in Madrid. But heck it's like that pretty much every weekend in Madrid. Thank the Kami for high pressure hoses.

We drove down Colorado Blvd on New Year's Eve to see the people camped out to see the Rose Parade, and were pelted with marshmallows. The road was covered with them, mostly smashed. I guess the city cleaned it up before the televised parade. We heard some cars were hit with raw eggs.