Japanese New Year's Cutstoms :Nengajo

First of all Id like to share my Hatsumakku with you,


Hatsumakku: 01/01/2010 14:30.

Although I didn't get a chance to eat McDonald's at midnight, I did have my Hatsumakku for lunch on the 1st.

Nengajo

In Japan it is customary to send nengajo, New year's postcards, to family, friends co-workers, etc., in a similar fashion as people in the West send Christmas greeting cards to their loved ones and  friends.

Normally people prepare to send them before the beginning of New year and Japan post will deliver them on the 1st. So you can imagine how busy the postmen must be, in order to deliver millions of these postcards to the right addresses  and on time, even if the rest of Japan is on holidays on that day!

These days Japan post sells many prepaid nengajo during the Christmas period and they even run a lottery with them. All nengajo postcards which are supplied by Japan Post have a lottery number. Later, in the middle of the month the results are displayed in newspaper and post offices. Winners can get food items or household items as indicated by the winning number catalog.

Actually, I once had a winning number and it was one of the top prizes but I was never bothered to pick up the prize and then I forgot so I lost it. ....oh well.

Many people, me included, are usually too busy during the last few weeks of December and so dont have time to send their nengajo in time for the 1st of January. But dont worry you can still send nengajo until the 15th.
So guess what Ill be doing in my free time during the week!


Alex Auscarria

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