Japanese New Year’s Eve

What Japanese people do on New Year’s Eve?

We call New Year’s Eve 大晦日（おおみそか・OOMISOKA）which means the last day of the year.

We usually stay up late with the family members and wait for the new year to come.

People eat 年越しそば（としこしそば・TOSHIKOSHISOBA）which is buckwheat noodle to eat at the year end to wish for the long lives as noodles for the new year.

Big size bells at the temples are rung 108 time around midnight on New Year’s Eve.

People hear the bells at home or visit temples to ring the bells.

It is believed that the 108 peals of the temple bells represent the 108 worldly passions of human beings which we call 煩悩（ぼんのう・BONNOU）and by ringing the bells 108 times we say our BONNOU will be expelled.

We say 「良いお年を（よいおとしを・YOI　OTOSHI O）」as our last greeting for the year to wish to the others to have a Happy New Year.

Hoping you will have a wonderful New Year.

良いお年を。（よいおとしを・YOI　OTOSHI　O）

YOI＝Good

OTSHI＝year ( in a polite way)

O =(particle)