The Japanese celebrate Ohshogatsu, New Year's, on January first.
This day is one of the most important holidays for the Japanese and contains many customs.
Families continue the tradition of making mounds of special food for the occasion, although many families in Japan now purchase the food rather than make it.
In the United States, a family will cook much of the special food on New Year's Eve, and serve it to family and friends who visit their house throughout the day on New Year's Day.
They also visit other people's houses and eat their food to celebrate the occasion.
The first dish you are supposed to eat on the morning of New Year's Day is a soup called ozoni.
People make this soup different ways, depending on where in Japan their ancestors came from, but it usually contains vegetables, kamaboko (fish cake) and mochi (rice cake).
This soup is not heavily seasoned and is gentle on the stomach.
The real eating begins in the afternoon! Another dish that is always served on this day is kuromame (black beans).
The slightly sweet beans signify good health, and you are supposed to eat one bean for every year old you are, plus one for the coming year.
Tai, a type of red snapper, is also sometimes served.
This fish signifies good luck and is served whole.
Kazunoko (herring roe) is crunchy, salty, and prepared in a ginger and shoyu sauce.
This dish symbolizes fertility.
Japanese Americans also serve other food on this day, such as sushi (California Roll, inari sushi, makisushi and ebisushi, for example), crab, oysters, char siu, teriyaki chicken, tempura, SPAM musubi, tofu, and some American food.
The food is always abundant, and it is a happy and joyous occasion as everyone looks forward to a healthy, prosperous and happy new year.
This day is one of the most important holidays for the Japanese and contains many customs.
Families continue the tradition of making mounds of special food for the occasion, although many families in Japan now purchase the food rather than make it.
In the United States, a family will cook much of the special food on New Year's Eve, and serve it to family and friends who visit their house throughout the day on New Year's Day.
They also visit other people's houses and eat their food to celebrate the occasion.
The first dish you are supposed to eat on the morning of New Year's Day is a soup called ozoni.
People make this soup different ways, depending on where in Japan their ancestors came from, but it usually contains vegetables, kamaboko (fish cake) and mochi (rice cake).
This soup is not heavily seasoned and is gentle on the stomach.
The real eating begins in the afternoon! Another dish that is always served on this day is kuromame (black beans).
The slightly sweet beans signify good health, and you are supposed to eat one bean for every year old you are, plus one for the coming year.
Tai, a type of red snapper, is also sometimes served.
This fish signifies good luck and is served whole.
Kazunoko (herring roe) is crunchy, salty, and prepared in a ginger and shoyu sauce.
This dish symbolizes fertility.
Japanese Americans also serve other food on this day, such as sushi (California Roll, inari sushi, makisushi and ebisushi, for example), crab, oysters, char siu, teriyaki chicken, tempura, SPAM musubi, tofu, and some American food.
The food is always abundant, and it is a happy and joyous occasion as everyone looks forward to a healthy, prosperous and happy new year.
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