Traditional New Year

Indispensable Traditional Food 

When someone ask me what is my family tradition, the first thing that comes to my head is New Year’s Eve. I love December 31st and January 1st because all of the family members gather together on those days. My mother has lived in my hometown for her whole time, and my father married into her family. Therefore, my mother’s mother, my grandmother, also lives near my house. All of my three of brothers are living separately now, but they always come back to the hometown on the New Year’s Eve. I really love traditional food of the New Year. 

Through December 31st to January 3rd, there are some traditional food; tohikoshi-soba and osechi. Toshkoshi-soba is our tradition that we eat noodles before the change of year, so that we can live healthily through the year. When the clock turns to elven o’clock at night on December 31st, my mother starts to prepare for toshikoshi-soba. Even though I am full, I can still eat all of toshikoshi-soba because it is very good. Osechi is specially-prepared New Year’s dishes that we eat during the first three days of January. Various kinds of beautifully-prepared dishes are set in three-tiered lacquer boxes. Each of the dishes in the box has some auspicious meaning which reflects people’s wishes, such as good health, happiness, prosperity, and long life. For example, lobsters represents longevity because their bodies are bent like an old man’s. Recipes is passed down within the family, and usually mothers and grandmothers cook it. 

Our New Year’s traditional food; osechi and toshikoshi-soba are indispensable. I cannot survive the year if these traditional food is taken away. When I wake up on the first day of the year, osechi is well prepared on the table, and it is very beautiful. It is like a treasure box to me.  

Osechi

Toshikoshi-soba 

Breakfast

Food 

I love the sound and the smell when my mom is cooking. I usually wake up right before the breakfast even though my mom tried to wake me up a hour before the breakfast. When I go down the stairs from my room and went to the dining table, all of my three brothers and dad are already sitting. My mom is stirring the miso in a pot. Sticky natto, broccoli depressed with soy source and sesame, grilled salmon, rolled omelet, rice, and chopsticks were well organized on the table. This is very common Japanese breakfast. We were just waiting for miso soup. I love the smell of miso. It is kind of salty but very warm. Finally the miso soup arrived at the table after I chatted with my brothers and dad, and then my mom sat down. We said "itadakimasu", which has two meaning: thanks for the food and let’s eat, and started to eat at the same time.  

I love this breakfast moment because it is when the all of the family members can be at the same table. My first brother is ten years, the second one is 8years,  and the third one is 6 years older than me, so we have fewer chances to eat dinner together as we get older. This breakfast moment was usual and the daily moment. I did not realize the moment as happiness. However, two of my brothers started to live by themselves, and the third brother went to the US, so it became the special time when all of the family member is at the same table. Now, this breakfast moment happens less than five times a year. When I sit with one of my brother at the same table, it also makes me happy, but it is much happier to sit with all of the family members.  

Hi! My name is Natsuki, I'm from Japan. My hometown is near Tokyo. I was born in 1999 and I'm a senior at the Northwest School. I have three older brothers and a dog. I came to Seattle three years ago. I have been playing the piano for almost 13 years. I love musicals and watching TV shows. My favorite musicals are the Phantom of the Opera, Les Miserables, and Wicked. I have been to Paris and I love European history. I have read the book about Marie Antoinette and famous classic European composers so many times. I have never been to Taiwan and Ethiopia, and I really want to go! Also, I love to talk with people and to hang out with friends. I think this is a great opportunity to have international relationship with three countries. I am looking forward to communicating with you:)