Ōmisoka
ōmisoka 大晦日 ōtsugomori 大晦 japanese traditional celebration last day year traditionally held final day th lunar month japan switch using gregorian calendar beginning meiji era used new year eve celebrate new year last day month japanese lunisolar calendar historically named misoka 晦日 originally miso written 三十 indicating th day though misoka sometimes fell th due varying length lunar month last day th lunar month called ōmisoka 大晦日—with 大 indicating final last day month year—or great thirtieth day part meiji restoration japan switched gregorian calendar ōmisoka set december new year eve day also known archaic pronunciation ōtsugomori 大晦 shortened version tsukigomori 月隠り meaning last day month traditionally important activity concluding year day completed order start new year fresh include house cleaning repaying debt purification driving evil spirit bad luck bathing final hour year could spent relaxing recently family friend often gather party including viewing fourhour kōhaku uta gassen 紅白歌合戦 redwhite singing battle nhk recently watch large mixed martial art card custom root ancient japanese culture surrounding toshigamisama 歳神様 toshitokusama 歳徳様 revolved around practice showing reverence toward god current upcoming year hour new year people often gather together one last time old year bowl toshikoshi soba toshikoshi udon together—a tradition based people association eating long noodle crossing one year next meaning toshikoshi noodle often eaten plain chopped scallion locality people top tempura traditionally family make osechi last day year food consumed first several day new year order welcome deity year household wish happiness throughout year midnight many visit shrine temple hatsumōde first shrinetemple visit year throughout japan shinto shrine prepare amazake pas crowd gather midnight approach buddhist temple large bonshō buddhist bell struck earthly temptation believed cause human suffering bell ringing tradition known joya kane 除夜の鐘 seeing someone last time new year traditional say yoi otoshi wo 良いお年を lit good new year traditional first greeting beginning new year akemashite omedetō 明けましておめでとう lit congratulation new year celebration equivalent new year eve western world coincides saint sylvesters day celebrated western christian church list buddhist festival japanese new year toshikoshi soba medium related ōmisoka wikimedia common dictionary definition 大晦日 wiktionary ushering new year kid web japan