In Japan, we have a custom of eating soba (buckwheat) noodles on New Year's eve. I heard that this tradition began in the hope of having a long healthy life just like long noodles.
年が変わる前に、家族で年越しそばを食べました。おいしかった。
My dad who had a wonderful time drinking with his relatives was pleasantly drunk innocently suggested to pay a visit to the nearest shrine at midnight. My mom and I went along with him. It was only a 10-minute walk from the house, and it was my first time to visit the particular shrine. As we were walking to the shrine, the clock struck 12 am. This is how we welcomed the new year. My dad had a high-performance flash light, so he was enjoying shining various things along the way, like a rock, a plant, a rooftop, and so on... He was like a little kid. My mom and I laughed at his behavior and smiled at him who was walking ahead of us. Although he was drunk, he did not forget to bring the old charms and amulets from home. We had a quite accumulation. We put these in the designated box. The shrine will pray and burn them for us. We thanked those charms and amulets as we put them in the box.
親戚一同と楽しくお酒を飲んでほろ酔い気分だった父は、真夜中に「よし、初詣に行ってきます」と言い出しました。念のために（笑）母と私も一緒に行くことに。家から歩いて10分ほどの神社は私にとっては初めての参拝でした。神社へ向かう途中で時計の針が夜中の12時を回りました。こうして私たち家族は新年を迎えたのでした。父は高性能な懐中電灯を持っており、それで道ばたの岩や植物や人さまのお家の屋根など様々なものを、嬉しそうに照らしていました。まるで子どものように無邪気に歩く父を、母と二人で笑いながら、微笑みながら付いて行きました。そんな父でしたが、ちゃんと古いお守りなどを持って来るのを忘れていませんでした。私たちはそれらを定められた箱に入れてきました。古いお守りは神社やお寺で焼いてくれることを私は最近まで知りませんでした。お世話様でしたという気持ちで返してきました。
It is a small shrine, but the local people were there and chatting with one another.
小さな神社ですが、地元の方々が集まっていました。
Oshiruko (sweet red-bean, azuki soup with mochi) was served for free. It warmed us up.
お汁粉が無料で配られていました。おいしかったです。体を温めてくれました。
The next morning (the New Year's Day), my cousins and I visited a different shrine from the one my parents and I visited the previous night. The girl who has a brown jacket is Naomi. The other girl who is on my left side is Tomomi, Naomi's big sister. Naomi and I are the same age, and Tomomi is a bit older than us. They are one of my mom's older sisters' daughters. (My mom has two older sisters.) We did not live in the same prefecture (state) when we were growing up, so we got to see each other only once or twice per year, but we played a lot and exchanged letters, and we are very close. I personally think that cousins are very interesting existence. They are not quite the same as siblings who share the same mother and/or father. They are different from best friends who are not blood related. I guess it is natural for us to develop deep connection because we've shared intimate ceremonial occasions such as weddings, funerals among relatives since we were small. I am grateful that I have these wonderful cousins.
The shrine we chose was Izumo Taisha near the Matsuyama Castle. The oldest sister of my mom (who is my aunt) got married at this shrine. Naomi, Tomomi, and I attended the wedding ceremony as well, but I (who was 2 years old) started to cry loud when the Japanese taiko drums were played, so my mom had to leave the room with me. (I even remember this.) The god of this shrine must be very happy to see us all grown up now.
翌朝元旦の朝は従姉妹と三人で、昨晩両親と行ったものとは違う神社に初詣に行ってきました。茶色のジャケットを着ているのが、なおみ。なおみと私は同い年。右側に写っているのがともみ姉ちゃん。なおみのお姉ちゃんです。なおみとともみ姉ちゃんは、私の母のすぐ上のお姉さんの子どもたち。同じ県には住んでいなかったので、お互いに会えるのは一年に一度か二度でしたが、小さい頃から一緒に遊んだり手紙を書き合ったり、とても仲が良いのです。従姉妹とは不思議な存在ですね。同じ両親を共有する姉弟とは違い、かと言って血の繋がっていない友達とも違い、大変面白い存在だと思います。親戚の冠婚葬祭を小さい頃から一緒に体験してきたわけですから、深い繋がりも生まれて当然なのでしょうか。私の場合は、このように年の近い従姉妹がいてくれて、本当に有り難いです。行った神社は松山城の近くにある出雲大社というところ。私の母の一番上の姉（私の伯母にあたる）が結婚式を挙げたところでもあります。（母は三人姉妹の一番下。）その伯母さんの結婚式に私たち従姉妹三人衆も出席したのですが、2歳の私は大きな太鼓の音に泣き出し、母はやむなく私を抱いて退場。そんな思い出のある神社でもあります。その太鼓のことは私も覚えています。神社の神様も、私たちがこんなに大きくなったことを喜んでくれたことでしょう。
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