クリスマスが終わると、すぐに年末年始。
毎年、洋から和への急激な変化に気持ちが追いつかないまま大晦日を迎えるのだけど、結局のところ「あーやっぱり日本のお正月好きだなあ」と思う。

海外で新年を迎えた年のカウントダウンの大騒ぎも嫌いじゃないけれど。
大晦日の夜、静かな夜に除夜の鐘がゴーン、ゴーンと響いて、「ゆく年くる年」をチラ見しながら眠りについて。
1月1日の朝は車も人通りも少なくて、街全体が「お正月」の空気感につつまれている。朝から新年一色のTVをつけると、お雑煮を食べると「あーお正月だなあ」と実感する。
毎年新年だけは、普段は食べないお正月料理を食べ、近くの神社へ初詣に行って、凧揚げを子供達として。
お正月にしかしない、けれど毎年繰り返される特別な年に一回のルーティーン。でもこれがない年は何となく物足りないし、年が明けた気持ちにならないのも事実。

なぜか、お正月だけは日本人としてのアイデンティティを強く感じる。
それだけ年末年始は日本人にとっては大切なイベントなどだと思う。
だから母となり、お正月支度をするのは、正直…とっても面倒くさいけれど、やるべきことはしなければなあ、と自分を奮い立たせている。

・・・さて、まずはクリスマスツリーを片付けなければ(ﾟДﾟ;)

After Christmas comes the year-end and New Year season immediately. Every year, I find myself struggling to catch up with the swift transition from Western-style celebrations to the traditional Japanese New Year. However, I always think, "I really do love Japanese New Year," as soon as I welcome New Year's Eve.

While I don't dislike the lively countdown celebrations abroad for the new year, there's something special about the quiet night of New Year's Eve with the resonating temple bells echoing "gong, gong." Falling asleep while casually reflecting on the past and upcoming year. On the morning of January 1st, the streets are serene with few cars or pedestrians, enveloped in the New Year atmosphere. Turning on the TV filled with New Year's programs and eating ozōni, a traditional New Year's soup, I can truly feel, "Ah, it's New Year."
Every year on New Year's, I indulge in traditional dishes that I wouldn't eat otherwise, visit a nearby shrine for the first visit of the year, and fly kites with my children. These routines, unique to the New Year, are special and repeated every year. Yet, a year without them feels somewhat lacking, and the sense of a new beginning doesn't quite settle in.

For some reason, New Year's is a time when I strongly feel my identity as a Japanese person. The year-end and New Year festivities seem to be significant events for the Japanese. As a mother, preparing for the New Year is honestly quite a hassle, but I motivate myself, thinking that certain things must be done.
...Now, I must start by putting away the Christmas tree.