Friday, November 16, 2012
Blog 12
We are coming into what is commonly called "the holiday season" in the United States - Thanksgiving, Christmas and to some extent New Years, and all major holidays that happen within a few weeks of each other. People start to put up their holiday decorations, shop for gifts and make plans with their families. On TV, there will be more and more holiday shows, and holiday parties and parades around town. Soon Santa Claus will be sitting on his big chair at the mall, waiting to say hello to little (and big) children, and everywhere you go, you will hear special Christmas song called Christmas carols. Volunteer organizations will be collecting food and toys for poor people so they can also enjoy the holidays. When the houses and trees are decorated and the snow starts to fall, it is really beautiful. For blog #12, describe your favorite holiday in your country. What does it celebrate, and why is it special for you?
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Hello guys. I gonna talk about my favorite holiday, Christmas in Japan. American Christmas style is little different from Japanese Christmas style because most young people spend Christmas with their boyfriend or girlfriend in Japan.They usually date with their boyfriend or girlfriend and eat special dinner on Christmas Day. There are a lot of decorative lighting in town or shopping mall. It is really beautiful!! I often spent Christmas with my family even I had a boyfriend. I went to a church (My friend's father is pastor) and I sang some Christmas songs last year. I used to cerebrate Christmas singing songs and praying because my high school was a missionary school ( it was based on thinking of a Protestant). I like a holly time which I pray for holidays. I used to eat a Christmas cake, turkey, pasta, salad, sushi and so on and drink Champagne. They were so special meal for me. My mother cooked almost of them. My family could hardly gather, so it was so happy time for me. On Christmas Day, my mother usually give me a present such as DVD or bags. I usually give my parents presents. Christmas makes our family smiling and happy, I think. That's why I like Christmas. Everyone, have a nice holidays!!!
ReplyDeleteRe: Mina’s post
DeleteI love Christmas, too!! I was surprised by difference between American and Japanese Christmas style. I often spend Christmas day with my friends. I can have very nice time with them every year, but I miss the time to spend my family on Christmas day. As you think, Christmas makes us happy and smiley. The days are filled with happiness. Nowadays, I came to think that I’d better to spend such a special holiday with my family because it is difficult to have time to talk with each other in daily life. Holiday can be good chance to have communication with family. Special holidays are coming I hope you will have nice time in those days.
Hi, Mina! I also love Christmas. On Christmas Day, my family hold a Christmas party every year at my house and invite my grandparents. I can`t meet them frequently, so this event is special for me. This year, I can`t attend the patry, so I really miss them. As you said, American people spend Cristmas with their family. I think it mekes their family ties stronger. my family spend on Christmas Day together, too. And we used to attend a Cristmas mass. We are not Christian, but we were able to hear a father`s sermon. It makes our mind comfortable. I have many memories with my family of the Christmas Day!!
DeleteI love Christmas too, and you are right that in the USA it is a family holiday for most people. Now that Thanksgiving is past, you will really start to hear a lot of Christmas music and see a lot of decorations around town, in the stores, etc. You will also see many people volunteering to raise money or donate food or gifts to help poor people have a merry Christmas. I always love to go to Church on Christmas Eve and hear about the Christmas story and sing Christmas carols and see the candlelight and see all the children dressed up in their beautiful clothes. I know the United Church of Christ (UCC) has three services on Christmas Eve - I think the first one is at 5:00pm - it is usually VERY crowded because that's when all the families with small children come. Afterwards, there is a bonfire in the courtyard with hot chocolate and more singing. There are also later services, which I think are less crowded and boisterous, but I don't remember the times (maybe 7:30 and 11pm? You'd have to check the website when it gets a little closer to Christmas Eve). Anyway, it is only a few blocks from campus, as you know, and they are very welcoming of everyone - Christian or not, it doesn't matter - so anyone who wants to experience a real traditional American Christmas Eve event might like to go check it out. http://uccmsla.org/
DeleteHello my friends. There are fifteen national holidays in Japan, and my favorite day is Coming-of-Age Day because this day is a special day for a life, not just a year. Coming-of-Age Day is January 15th, which honors young people who have reached the age of twenty as new members of society. In 2009, I became twenty years old, so I went to back my home town from Tokyo and took part in a ceremony event on January15th. On that day, I met friends in middle school for the first time in ten years and talked with them about our memories each other and took a lot of photos. Next day, I joined a another ceremony. It was a party with my friends in high school friends. Actually, I had planed the event from five months ago. I made a reservation to get the party place and sent e-mail to the same year three hundred students in school, so I was very looking forward to this party. Actually, I love my high school, so the party was a memorable event for me! However, there is one problem about Coming-of-Age Day. As stated above, it's is for young people who got twenty years and it's no meaning for people expect 20 age(make sense!?). It's a big deal because I already was over 20 years! Now, when I meet friends, I tell a joke”We must celebrate Next Coming-of-Age Day.”
ReplyDeleteHello, Genki. I think Coming-of-Age Day is very special day for people who became 20 years old. I became 20 years old this year. However, I’m in here, so I can’t attend the party. I really wanted to go because I haven’t kept in touch with my junior high school friends, I wanted to meet them. I can’t image how atmosphere of the party is. I watch news of the party every year, but some people scream and are about to destroy the party. How was your ceremony? Was it happen? Anyway, my old friends said they’ll send pictures to me, so I’m really looking forward to seeing those pictures January.
DeleteI think this sounds like a really nice holiday. It is great that people in Japan recognize this important milestone with its own holiday. I understand your point that you can only really celebrate it once (the year you turn 20), but I guess everyone can relate either to the anticipation of becoming 20 some day or the memory of having become 20. I like the way the whole society honors this transition! In the US, we recognize children as adults in some ways at age 18 (they can vote and serve in the military) and in other ways at 21 (they can drink). But I think its important to celebrate the maturity and responsibilities they are taking on as adults as well. I'm glad you had such a good experience with your coming of age day.
DeleteHi, my classmates! I will talk about my favorite holiday in Japan. It’s New Year’s Day. I think that most countries also celebrate it for the first day of year. However, I think that the way to celebrate is different from country to country. In japan, there are foods which Japanese people eat on the day. The foods are called “Osechi”, and it’s Japanese traditional. It’s composed of a variety of foods cooked in different ways. I think that when you see it, you can see that Japanese food is exquisite. In addition, we also eat “Zouni” on the day. It’s a soup in “Mochi” (rice cake) and so on. I like these foods, but we can’t eat it only on January 1st. Also, Ney Year’s Day is a good opportunity that we can see our relatives. In Japan, most Japanese people spend the day with not only family but also their relatives. So we can see our relatives on the day for the first time in a long time. And then, there is a custom that each parents and grandparents give their children money to celebrate the day. The money is called “Otoshidama”. That’s why the day is special for me. Although I can’t spend the day of next year in Japan, I’m looking forward to the day because I’m going to New York!
ReplyDeleteI like the meals which we eat on New Year's Day either especially, I love Zouni because we can hardly eat zouni except for New Year's day. My mum and my grandmum usually make zouni, it is really yummy!! Yet, I don't like Osechi. There are no reasons, but I can eat only Datemaki, Kamaboko and salmon. I visit my grandmum's home(another grandmum) and she cook Zouni for me. Its taste is different from our home's. I love both of them though. Moreover, it is a good oppotunity to see my relatives on January 1st. We usually talk about something happened recently each other. My famuly and my relatives drink alcohol much and eat much. Oshogastu (New Year's Day) make Japanese fat, I think. It is traditional and special holiday for all Japanese. I will be sad because I can't spend next Oshogastu with my family and I will miss Zouni in the United States. When I go back to Japan, I gonna ask my mum to make some New Year's meals even if it is in May or June.
DeleteWhen I lived in Japan, I felt that the Japanese celebrations of New Years and Christmas were almost the opposite of the American celebrations (one holiday is a bigger and more important family holiday, the other more a time to celebrate with friends and parties) - what do you think? I was really happy to be taken by some friends to visit a Shinto shrine in Kumamoto to celebrate the beginning of the New Year when I lived in Japan. And I remember all the wonderful foods that people served on New Years Day! Yum! You will have a really different New Years celebration this year if you are in New York! Will you go to Times Square for the countdown?
DeleteHi,everyone!! I would like to talk about my favorite holiday. My favorite holiday is a coming-og-age celebration day. In Japan, this celebration ceremony is hold in January for congratulating people who are 20years old. It is hold in many places, so thay can participate in their local ceremony. Traditionally, women wear a long-sleeved kimono and men wear suit. (Some men put on a hakama.) Last year, I participated in the ceremony which was hold in my high school. I wore a long-sleeved kimono which my mothre used to wear her coming-of-age. I was so excited because it has been a long time since I had graduated from high school and I had not seen my friends for a long time. So I had a good time there. After that, I visited my grandparents` house and showed my moment of triumph. They were really glad about that. By the way, in Japan, beyond 20years old people are allowed to dring and buy alcohol and smoke cigarete. It means that beyond 20years old people are regarded as independent person. So we have to take responsibility what we do. Avobe all, this ceremony is special for me to recognize as a independent person.
ReplyDeleteHi, Karin! I also participated in the Coming-of-Age celebration last year. I was glad to see my friends of elementary school and junior high school for the first time in a long time. Then, we talked about the past when we played and the future. It was so great time that I felt that I wanted to spend that time one more. Also as Karin stated, we should have responsibility for what we say and do. It has been about one year since I spent that day, but I’m not responsible enough. So I want to be independent through the life in America.
DeleteI would love to see a picture of you in your mother's kimono! I'll bet you looked so beautiful! It sounds like such a special day for young people in Japan - I wish we had a similar celebration in the USA. And I really like the point that you and Keito make that although this day commemorates the day you can drink and smoke legally, it is more importantly a day when you are taking on adult responsibilities because you've developed the maturity to handle them.
DeleteHi everyone! I would like to describe about my favorite holiday “ Osyougatu”(new year day) Japanese people think the holiday is more important than Christmas. Perhaps, it is considered by Japanese people as the most important one of holidays. Therefore, people use lots of money to prepare to celebrate the holiday; for example, we shop for special dishes called “Osechi” ( it is like special lunch box) and buy “Fukubukuro”( in English, “fortune bag” inside of it, there are many kinds of things such as cloth, accessories, snacks and so on). Since before the holiday, most of Japanese children have been looking forward to get “Otoshidama”( inside of small paper bag, there are some money). They get lot of money by it, they buy anything they want. My favorite event in the holiday is “mochituki”. In the event, we cook rice cake!! We can eat freshly made rice cake!!! It’s really tasty!! Some families which grow rice for making rice cake make special ornaments. Firstly, they make rice cake as usual. Next, they take some amount of rice cake and then make a shape like dome. It’s called “kagamimochi”. As I told you about Japanese New year day above, there are many special events. I will be happy if you come to have interest in Japanese tradition by my post. Thank you.
ReplyDeleteThis is a really nice description, Ayaka - I like the way you've given the Japanese names for everything, but also explained clearly what each thing is in English. I well remember delicious Osechi Ryori (Yum!) but I did not know about Fukubukuro - that sounds like a lot of fun! Also, I had forgotten the beautiful Oshogatsu decorations - mochi & pine branches, etc. I spent one New Years with a friend in Okinawa, and reading your description helped me remember that experience so clearly.
DeleteHi everyone, I will describe Eid Al- fitr for you. It is my favorite holiday in my country. We celebrate with family all my aunts, uncles and nieces, also friends and our neighborhood too.Before Eid Al-fitr holiday started we go buy new clothes and lots of candies.In Eid Al-fitr day we would always wake up early about 6 clock. Wear our new clothes, then we would go to my mom and dad and tell them happy Eid and do the same to my sisters, brother and the house keeper and our driver. . Old men go and pray Al-fajr pray at the mosque with all our neighborhood, I remember that I had always wake up so early to fours my dad that i can go with him and my poor dad he would take me with him every Eid until I became 10 years, my poor dad. However, in the morning women dress up and call their friends, family and neighborhood and tell them happy Eid.After that men go back to their houses sit with family drink Arabic coffee and dates and a lot of candies, well it should be like this this should be the first thing u eat in the morning but when we were young she will give us milk and then the breakfast time,it have been always special to me. After that people would come to each other houses we would eat lunch and dinner together and usually until we sleep all family stay together. Each Eid my mom would give our housekeeper take a couple days off after that because it is always busy and there are lunch and dinner and lots of people come to the house. This is my favorite holiday, hope you enjoy it.
ReplyDeleteI can really imagine your happiness at this holiday from reading your description, Ruba! I guess every culture has at least one holiday that is really a special happy time to spend time with the family. I think in the US it is often Christmas, in Japan it is probably New Years, and in Saudi Arabia, it must be Eid. Actually, many Jewish Americans prefer to celebrate Hannukah and a lot of Afrioan Americans celebrate a holiday called Kwanzaa. However, all three holidays - Christmas, Hannukah and Kwanzaa, along with the secular (nonreligious) Winter Solstice - occur within a few weeks of each other in December, so it is a festive month. Americans often wish each other "Happy Holidays" instead of "Merry Christmas" since it seems like everyone is celebrating one holiday or another.
DeleteHi Ruba. Eid Al-fitr seems very interesting holiday because you commemorate the day with not only your family but your neighborhood. It is similar to new year in Japan. We meet our family and relatives and eat special meal called by Osechi, which cerebrates new year. The Osechi consists of some lucky stuff. For example, a boiled shrimp is a fomous ingredient because the shape of the shrimp curves and that is thought as a healthy old people bent with age. On the other hand, I wonder why you can cerebrate Eid Al-fitr with your neighborhood. We don't have strong connection with our neighbor in Japan, so I envy you a little bit.
DeleteHello, everyone. My favorite holiday is Health Sports Day in Japan. That means we should play some sports or think about our health. This holiday is not major, but this is a special day for me ever. Health Sports Day is the second Monday on October every year. When I was elementary, junior and high school student, sports festival had held on Health Sports Day every year. My younger brother, sister and I really love to play sports, so we were excited to take part in the sports festival. A day before the sports festival, I practiced to run fast with my siblings in front of my house, and slept well. The morning of that festival, my mother had cooked our lunch. This day was competition between my siblings and me because our school had lots of color of teams. If we separate other color, we will be rival even we are family. We cheered our team and screamed. The last game was always relay. I was a player of relay every year, so I remembered that I was really nervous, but I loved it. After the festival, we went back home together and talked what you felt, how it was, and so on. I loved that time to talk with family. That’s why Health Sports Day is special for me.
ReplyDeleteThis sounds like a great day - a national day to celebrate good health and exercise and playing together! The US could really use a holiday like this since so many people spend too much time working and overeating and not getting enough exercise - we are developing real problems with stress and obesity and bad health in this country! I am especially happy to think about health and exercise the day after Thanksgiving since (along with the rest of America) I ate too much turkey yesterday!!!
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