Come join us and celebrate the New Year by witnessing the first
sunrise of 2009.
Celebrating the new year in Japan means paying special attention
to the "first" time something is done in the new year. Hatsuhinode
is the first sunrise of the year. Before sunrise on January 1,
people often drive to the coast or climb a mountain so that they
can see the first sunrise of the New Year. The real celebration
does not begin until sunrise when the traditional meal of
vegetables, seafood and dessert is served in one dish – the
different types of food symbolizing prosperity.
In Asia, sunrise celebrations and honoring of the ancestors and
elders brings luck.
Koreans make wishes for the New Year while watching the sunrise.
Some wear traditional clothing. Family members gather early in the
morning to remember their ancestors. After the observance, they eat
a kind of rice cake soup. Koreans believe that eating this food
will add an extra year to their life. After the meal, young people
lower their heads to honor their parents and older adults. This
means good health and good wishes. Many parents give the children
money.
Vietnamese people get up and put on new clothes at sunrise.
Mongolians have a tradition to climb the nearest sacred hill or
mountain on the first morning of the New year, offering dishes and
burning juniper and incense sticks to welcome the New Year.
Plan on being early enough to witness the sunrise. We'll start
to gather around 6:30 a.m. and hang till about 7:30 a.m. then head
to breakfast. Hot cocoa and coffee will be available to warm your
soul. Happy New Year Everyone.