Japanese New Year – Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Typical nengajō greetings include:
kotoshi mo yoroshiku o-negai-shimasu – 今年もよろしくお願いします – I hope for your favour in the coming year.
akemashite o-medetō-gozaimasu – あけましておめでとうございます – New Year’s congratulations
kinga shinnen – 謹賀新年 – Happy New Year
shoshun – 初春 – literally “early spring”
The New Year traditions are also a part of Japanese poetry, including haiku and renga. All of the traditions above would be appropriate to include in haiku as kigo (season words). There also haiku that celebrate many of the “first” of the New Year, such as the “first sun” (hatsuhi) or “first sunrise”, “first laughter” (waraizome — starting the New Year with a smile is considered a good sign), and first dream (hatsuyume). Since the traditional new year was later in the year than the current date, many of these mention the beginnings of spring.
Along with the New Year’s Day Postcard, haiku might mention “first letter” (hatsudayori — meaning the first exchange of letters), “first calligraphy” (kakizome), and “first brush” (fude hajime).
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