Yuuki

=**New Year around the world**=

1. Introduction I chose the theme New Year around the world because I like New Year. New Year gives me a fresh feeling, so New Year’s celebration is one of my favorite events. In Japan, December 31 is New Year’s Eve called //Ohmisoka// and January 1 is New Year’s Day called //Gantan//. Japanese people often spend New Year’s Eve and New Year’s Day with their family or relatives. Japanese people eat Japanese traditional foods New Year’s Eve and New Year’s Day. For example, the buckwheat noodles eaten New Year’s Eve are called //Toshikoshi soba//. //Osechi// New Year’s cuisine and //Ozouni// rice cake soup are also representative traditional foods in Japan. In addition, children can get some money from their parents and adult relatives for New Year’s gift called //Otoshidama//. Most people in Japan pay a visit to a shrine on New Year’s Day. This is called //Hatsumoude//. Japanese people send their relatives and acquaintances a New Year card called //Nengajo//. Furthermore, Japanese people decorate with many ornaments inside and outside their homes to celebrate New Year. For instance, there are //Shimekazari// rice straw ropes, //Kagami mochi// stacked rice cakes and //Kadomatsu// pine, bamboo, and plum blossom arrangements. In this way, Japanese people spend The New Year holiday. I expect that there are many different points between Japan and other countries. When is New Year’s Day in other countries? Is there a custom of giving New Year’s gifts and sending relatives and acquaintances New Year card in other countries? How do people in other countries spend the New Year holiday? I would like to research these points concerning New Year around the world.

I used online Survey Monkey to research into New Year around the world. http://www.surveymonkey.com/ I asked nine questions about New Year on Survey Monkey. Then, twelve people responded to my questions. My respondants are three Frenchmen, one Singaporean, one Malaysian, two Finns, one Swede, one South Korean, one German and two Japanese.
 * 2. Main issue**

__The questions to research New Year around the world__ Q1. What country are you from? Q2. What religion do you believe in? Q3. Which month is general New Year's Day in your country? Q4. Who do you spend New Year's Day with? Q5. Do you pay a visit to a shrine on New Year's Day? Q6. Do you send your acquaintances a New Year card? Q7. Is there a custom of giving New Year's gift in your country? Q8. What foods do you eat New Year? Q9. Do you decorate inside or outside your house?

__Table of results arranged by country__ __Graph 1 New Year Dates__ According to the Graph 1, general New Year’s celebration is January in almost all countries, as well as Japan. A German and a Finn responded that general New Year’s Day is December, but general New Year’s Day is January 1 in Germany and Finland, too. According to the website, //Zukko’s diary in// //Germany//, Germans and Finns held New Year party at midnight on December 31. Therefore, they may consider that December 31 is the time to celebrate the New Year. Germans and Finns whoop it up and shoot off fireworks and firecrackers. There are two purposes of shooting off fireworks. First, the crack of the fireworks purify of demon. Second, the fireworks light up New Year. Therefore, New Year’s Eve party in Germany and Finland is very lively. However, they spend January 1 quietly in Germany and Finland because of tiredness after the lively New Year’s Eve party.
 * Q1 || Japan || Korea || Singapore || Malaysia || France || German || Sweden || Finland ||
 * Q2 || Non religious || Non religious || Christian || Buddhist || Non religious (2), Catholic (1) || Christian || Non religious || Christian ||
 * Q3 || January || January || January || January || January || December || January || December ||
 * Q4 || Family || Family || Family || Family, Friends, Relatives || Friend || Boyfriend or Girlfriend || Family || Family ||
 * Q5 || Yes || No || No || No || No || No || No || No ||
 * Q6 || Yes || Yea || Yes || Yes || No || No || No || Yes, No ||
 * Q7 || Yes || Yes || No || Yes || No || No || No || No ||
 * Q8 || Osechi || rice-cake soup || Steamboat || Mee sua, Dim Sum, shark fin soup, abalone || oysters, Foie gras, shrimp, salmon || Nothing special || Nothing special || Potato salad, sausages, tacos ||
 * Q9 || Yes || No || No || Yes || Yes (2), No (1) || No || No || No ||
 * n || 2 || 1 || 1 || 1 || 3 || 1 || 1 || 2 ||
 * n || 2 || 1 || 1 || 1 || 3 || 1 || 1 || 2 ||

__Graph 2 New Year Companions__ According to the Graph 2, almost all people at 67 percent responded that they spend New Year with family in other countries, as well as in Japan. However, some French people spend New Year with friends. According to the website, //Bonjour Paris//, French people generally spend Christmas with family, so they have a good New Year with friends instead. On the other hand, a Malaysian spends New Year with family, friends and relatives. According to the websites, //Rekishi Douraku// and //Frog Focus//, there are various people that believe in Islam, Buddha, Confucianism, Taoism, Hinduism and Christianity in Malaysia, so all Malaysian people do not celebrate New Year the same. However, the only Malaysian young people celebrate New Year. Malaysian young people go to New Year concert or take part in grand party in an airport at midnight on December 31. Some people drink with friends New Year, but Malaysians that believe in Islam do not drink. After that they go home and spend time with their family and relatives. In this connection, according to the website, //Uniquely Singapore//, various people that believe in Islam, Buddhism, Taoism, Hinduism, Christianity and Judaism live in Singapore.

__Graph 3 Shrine visit__ According to the graph 3, all people at 83 percent in other countries responded that they do not pay a visit to a shrine on New Year’s Day. There are the customs of paying a visit to a shrine (//Hatsumoude//), sending New Year card (//Nengajo//), Giving New Year’s gift (//Otoshidama//) in Japan. However, Japan is the only country in the survey where people pay a visit to a shrine on New Year’s Day. There is not the custom of paying a visit to a shrine on New Year’s Day in the other countries. Precisely, the shrine is the institution of Shinto. People that believe in Shinto are few in other countries, so there is not the custom of paying homage at a shrine.

__Graph 4 New Year Cards__ According to the Graph 4, the response that about sending New Year card was split right down the middle. Sending New Year cards is a Japanese custom, but Germans, French, Malaysians, Finns and Swedes do not send New Year cards. On the other hand, Singaporeans, Finn, Koreans and Japanese send New Year card. However, the custom of sending New Year cards in these countries is not as wide spread as in Japan. Rather than New Year cards people in other countries send Christmas cards, that include a New Year greeting or a non-specific seasonal greeting.

__Graph 5 New Year Gifts__ According to the Graph 5, 75 percent responded that they do not give New Year’s gifts. In Japan, children get some money as New Year’s gifts from their parents, grandfather, grandmother and relatives. According to the survey results, in Malaysia, there is a custom of giving friends and family some money as New Year’s gifts. It is similar to Japan. In addition, Malaysian people also give friends, family and relatives foods and sweets for New Year’s gifts. However, most people in other countries do not give New Year’s gifts. In Japan, people eat Japanese traditional foods like //Osechi//, //Ozouni// for New Year. Now, what foods do people in other countries eat New Year? According to the website //Kanpooh//, in Korea people eat //tokku// (rice cake soup) as a special New Year’s food. Rice cake soup is similar to //Ozouni//. Korean people eat //tokku// New Year, so that they can advance in age one year. This is a Korean tradition. According to the survey results and the website //Cultural differences in foods//, some Malaysian people eat various foods, fish, chicken, vegetables. For example, they eat //mee sua// (Malaysian noodle) at home, //dim sum// (Chinese food), shark fin soup and abalone in a restaurant. In addition, //Sui Gyouza// is a famous dish for New Year in Malaysia. Some French people eat oysters, salmon, and //foie gras// (goose liver) and drink champagne to celebrate New Year. According to the website, //Tarkoro’s traveling diary//, eating //Garetto de roa// on January 6 is a French tradition. //Garetto de roi// is a French cake in which is put a small token, and eaten by French people to celebrate Christ’s appearing festival. According to the website, //Kitchen Hime//, in Germany people generally eat sauerkraut for New Year. German people that eat sauerkraut at New Year become rich. This is a German tradition. In addition, people in Germany also eat boiled carp, //Lebkuchen// (cookie flavored with honey and cinnamon) and drink //Feuerzangenbowle// (hot wine flavored rum) to celebrate the New Year. In Finland, some people eat potato salad and sausages for New Year.

__Graph 6 New Year Decorations__ According to the Graph 6, 75 percent of all people responded that they do not decorate with New Year’s ornaments. In Japan, people display decorations //Kadomatsu//, //Kagami mochi// and //Shimekazari// New Year. In Malaysia, people put some lights or lanterns outside and hang colorful papers inside for New Year’s decorations. People in other countries do not decorate with New Year’s special ornaments. In Germany, France, and Finland, the Christmas decorations are outside and inside still at the start of the New Year.

Before I researched the theme New Year around the world, I guessed that there were many different points between Japan and other countries. Surely, I found some different points between Japan and other countries. First, in Japan, people pay a visit to a shrine on New Year’s Day, but this custom is not in other countries. Second, Japanese people send their relatives and acquaintances New Year cards, but 50 percent of the respondants in other countries do not send New Year cards. Third, in Japan, there is the custom that children get some money from each parents and adult relatives for New Year’s gifts, but the custom like //Otoshidama// does not exist in other countries. In addition, there are not New Year decorations like //Shimekazari//, //Kagami mochi// and //Kadomatsu// in other countries. I have reached the conclusion that compared to Japan New Year celebrations are not as special and lavish in the countries that I researched. I was surprised at this fact. In Germany, France, and Finland, people have a more magnificent celebration for Christmas than for New Year, so they spend New Year’s Day without much celebration. On the other hand, Japanese people consider that New Year’s Day is a more important day than Christmas. I have also realized that since there are various religions, there are different New Year customs in each country.
 * 3. Conclusion**

__References__ International Writing Exchange-IWE Round 51. (2006). Retrieved November 15, 2006 from http://www.writeit.fi/sys/course/view.php?id=56

International Writing Exchange-IWE Round 52. (2006). Retrieved November 15, 2006 from http://www.writeit.fi/sys/course/view.php?id=61

Kanpooh, 2000 Unisia Co, Ltd. (2006). Retrieved November 15, 2006 from http://www.kanpooh.com/gourmet/12.php

Kitchen Hime. (2006). Retrieved November 15, 2006 from http://www.kitchen-hime.com/initcont/pu/pu_1.htm

Koganei Web Frog Focus. (2006). Retrieved November 15, 2006 from http://www.tuat.ac.jp/~webfrogs/plan/001215/newyear/jp/malaysia-j.html

Raufu, M. B. (2006). Cultural differences in foods. Retrieved November 15, 2006 from http://comm.hum.ibaraki.ac.jp/ibunka/2002/23/index.htm

Rekishi Douraku. (2006). Retrieved November 15, 2006 from http://www.hpmix.com/home/bokujin/C11_90.htm

Singapore, The sightseeing office of government in Singapore. (2006). Retrieved November 15, 2006 from http://www.visitsingapore.com/publish/stbportal/ja/home/about_singapore/demographic_and_geographical/people__language_.html

Survey Monkey. (2006). Survey Monkey.com. Retrieved November 15, 2006 from http://www.surveymonkey.com/

Tarkoro. (2006). Retrieved November 15, 2006 from http://www.asahi-net.or.jp/~ZJ7C-NZK/Food/tea_time(06.01.02).html

Yumi, Bonjour Paris. (2006). Retrieved November 15, 2006 from http://homepage3.nifty.com/kazgoto/paris/p_tidings03.htm

Zukko. (2006). Retrieved November 15, 2006 from http://www.pluto.dti.ne.jp/~mikado/tb13-17.html

Special thanks: Mathieu Sadecki from France, Henri Turunen from Finland, Pierre Rudeau from France