Why did Japan give up the traditional Tet?

Japan is a country located in Asia, most people follow the Shinto religion. But Japan is the only country in Asia to celebrate Tet in a positive calendar. Let's find out why Japan abandoned the traditional New Year and should Vietnam study your country?

Japanese New Year History

In Japan, it is believed that there is a god named Toshigami-sama who will visit every house at the beginning of the new year and bring good luck and vitality for the whole year. The Japanese New Year is celebrated for this god.

New Year of the Japanese organization for god Toshigami-sama.

Since ancient times, Japanese people have used the Chinese calendar, which is a negative calendar like many other Asian countries. From 1844 to 1872, the Japanese held a Tet holiday with Thien Bao. On December 3, 1872 (the 5th Meiji period), the Japanese government decided to change it to January 1, 1873 (6th Meiji year) and from there people had to adjust their New Year festivals. according to the new calendar, ie welcome Tet on January 1 every year according to the solar calendar - European calendar.

Why did the Japanese government decide to welcome Tet in a solar calendar?

According to many documents, the first reason is: from ancient times until 1946, the Japanese government always monopolized the selection of which is the national calendar. So when the government decided to change the calendar, Japanese people have to follow. Even though Toshigami-sama is a sacred god in Japanese beliefs, this god cannot resist the calendar.

The Japanese government always monopolizes the selection of which calendar is the national calendar.

The second reason is that the calendar change helped the government not pay the 13th month salary for civil servants , because according to the old schedule, the 6th Meiji year has June as a leap month. Celebrating Tet in the new calendar can reduce holidays and increase national labor output.

In addition, there is another reason that in the 19th century, Japan faced many major problems as they signed unprofitable treaties with the US (such as the Japan Treaty of Friendship and Trade - United States 1858), as well as the situation in the world at that time, Western countries are seeking to expand small countries. Japan realized that the West had grown dramatically compared to Asia when it saw the black ships of the US Navy visiting Uraga port in July 1853. To avoid being colonized, Japan needs to escape the influence of Chinese culture and have to reach out to become a powerful nation. Japan wants to catch up with the West and stand among the ranks of civilized countries in the world.

Therefore, changing the traditional calendar to the calendar, changing the time of the traditional Tet holiday to the New Year as well as the Westernization of the culture is a way for Japan to become a Western-developed powerhouse.

Today, most Japanese people have no longer welcomed the traditional Tet.

Although the calendar is still in common use in Japan today, Japanese people still apply the traditional year counting method on some books and pictures. The years will be numbered and the number of years of the Emperor's reign. For example, 2017 is called the Heisei year 29, which means the 29th year of the current Emperor Hoang Nhat - Emperor Akihito.

Today, most Japanese people have no longer welcomed the traditional Tet. But in some areas such as Kago Island, Okinawa, Amami, people still maintain the Tet holiday according to the lunar calendar. The video below shows Japanese people celebrating Tet 2013 according to the year of the Snake in the lunar calendar.

How did the Japanese people celebrate Tet?

Although celebrating Tet in the Western calendar, Tet holiday in Japan still bears the traditional Eastern culture.

On the days of Tet holiday, Japanese people go to buy and fix furniture during Tet. Shops and shopping areas are very busy. Also, on this day to welcome the god Toshigami-sama to the house, the house must be cleaned.

New Year's Day in Japan still bears the traditional Eastern culture.

After that, Japanese people will proceed to decorate the house. They usually decorate it on the 28th or 30th, because the Japanese pronunciation is nearly the same as "twice the pain" in Japanese . Every house is decorated with pine trees in front of the door because according to traditional beliefs, Toshigami-sama will lower the world and take refuge in this tree. On the doorsteps of Japanese families also decorate items such as white leaf knitting (symbolizing spotless virginity), tangerines (symbolizing prosperity), rope braided with grass ( offering to the god of fortune and fortune, a strip of white paper (banishing evil spirits).

Japanese women will go to the kitchen to prepare dishes as well as make Tet cakes. Tet cake is made on 28 or 30 Tet. Tet cake along with taro dishes such as taro, carrots and green vegetables are often brought to the gods. Carrots represent a harmonious relationship between all family members. Taro represents the power to push out the air. The dishes made during Tet have materials such as burdock roots, fish eggs, sweet potatoes, algae, chestnuts, and dried fish. These are simple dishes, meaning to pray for all good things.

Japanese women will go to the kitchen to prepare dishes as well as make Tet cakes.

On New Year's Eve, the whole family of Japanese will eat meals every year. By the time of the New Year's Eve, the sacred temples will score 108 bells. The Japanese believe that these bells will help them chase 108 evil demons. The head of the family will read the New Year greetings and then the whole family will eat Tet cake and drink together. The Japanese believe that Toshigami-sama will give energy to the New Year's cake, so after offering the god, this cake will be shared among all family members.

For the Japanese, the beginning of the year is a big deal . They often prefer to go to the temple to pray. Every year there is a good direction so Japanese people will go to the temple in the direction of that year. When entering the temple everyone must wash their hands and rinse their mouths first, then perform the ceremony.

From the first day of the Lunar New Year, Japanese people will go to upper-level Tet wishes, friends and relatives. The Japanese call the first three days of the new year "three days of praise". Traditionally, families put books and pencils in front of the gate. The person who wishes for Tet will write the address to the book, meaning to visit the house. The Japanese also have a lot of money for children like other Asian countries.

Traditionally, families put books and pencils in front of the gate.The person who wishes for Tet will write the address to the book, meaning to visit the house.

A special feature in the custom of welcoming Japanese New Year is to give a new year greeting card. Japanese people are very hard at writing greeting cards to friends and relatives. Mr. Hideo Suzuki, the Japanese envoy in Vietnam said that he had written over 200 new year greeting cards. Usually he started writing from mid-December and brought it to the post office to send it before the new year 3-4 days. The Japan Post Office will keep the card and deliver it to the recipient on the first day of the New Year.

Advantages when welcoming Tet according to "Western calendar"

Mr. Nakanara, a Japanese language teacher at Hanoi Polytechnic University, said that if the company celebrated the Lunar New Year , the business companies would have many advantages. The annual financial settlement will be simpler because the new year is always fixed. On the contrary, for the traditional New Year, New Year's Day always changes year by year, so companies will be passive in their business plans.

According to Ms. Yamanouchi, 55 years old, twice a year, will waste time and money for the economy. However, the Lunar New Year also has its own good. Lunar New Year is a Buddhist New Year, but Buddhism is always good for people, teaching people to be grateful to their ancestors, knowing the glasses on giving up. So the traditional Tet is a day of blessing grandparents, grateful to ancestors, praying for the family to be happy.

Japanese people want to restore the traditional Tet?

Recently some Japanese people have called for the restoration of the traditional New Year.

In an interview, Japanese envoy Hideo Suzuki said that recently some Japanese people have called for the restoration of the traditional New Year. The reason is because according to the solar calendar, January 1 every year will start the spring, but in fact the weather in Japan in January is extremely cold. If the Lunar New Year is celebrated, spring will arrive on time. In February plum blossom will bloom and in March spring will flood Japan with blooming cherry blossoms.

Ambassador Suzuki said that people only have strength when they unite, and the community plays an important role to unite people. This is why many Japanese people want to restore the festival to celebrate the traditional New Year, with the desire to strengthen the community.

For the Japanese, the beginning of the year is a big deal.They often prefer to go to the temple to pray.

Should Vietnam study Japan for the New Year?

So we can see that to become an industrialized country, Japan has changed the national calendar in the West. However, they still retain the traditional culture when celebrating Tet every year. Even some Japanese localities still celebrate Tet festivals according to the lunar calendar. Traditional Tet is a culture, national identity cannot be lost. Some opinions suggest that Vietnam because of its economic development can learn Japanese from the two Tet holidays. But maybe our children and grandchildren will demand to restore the Lunar New Year as today? Therefore, it is not a question of abandoning or grossing the Lunar New Year, but how we deal with the Lunar New Year so that the Lunar New Year is a time of rest, joy, reunion and good things. not a burden for family and society.