New Year’s Card 年賀状

There are many things to do at New year in Japan and one of them is a New Year’s Card. We send a greeting card to people live faraway in New Year’s day. This is a Japanese traditional custom. The New year’s card called Nengajyou年賀状 in Japan.
Today I am going to share about Japanese New Year’s Card.

How to make a New Year’s Card

First you print some illustrations and pictures of family on a postcard on the back of the postcard. And you print the address on the surface of the postcard as well because you need to send the cards so many numbers!! You send it to your family, friends, co-workers, teachers, and even friends of friends. Some of them you can contact by only New Year’s Card!! Usually you can receive a letter in almost 3 days after posting. However every new year’s card that was posted till 26th of December receive on just New Year’s Day!!

Eto 干支 (Chinese astrological calendar)

I’ve just wrote you print some illustrations on the back of postcard but the illustrations are almost decided. You can draw the Ox this year. From ancient Chinese culture, each year has a symbolic animal in Japan and the circle is turned every twelfth year. It called Chinese astrological calendar 干支. They are represented by the 12 animals for Chinese astrology. This is the year of the Ox in the Chinese astrology so that it was printed the Ox on the New Year’s Card in Japan.
These are the twelve zodiac signs in Chinese astrology.
子 Rat
丑 Ox
寅 Tiger
卯 Rabbit
辰 Dragon
巳 Snake / Serpent
午 Horse
未 Ram
申 Monkey
酉 Rooster
戌 Dog
亥 Boar
Next is the year of the Tiger in the Chinese astrology so that you use a tiger illustration for the New Year’s Card.

By the way, people say that god decided the twelve zodiac signs. He let the animals compete and decided the turn of Chinese astrology in order of arrival. The Rat reached the goal for the first so that the Rat is the first animal of Chinese astrology. Japanese children read a book of Chinese astrology well.

You can inform your resent state to acquaintances and they can too.
I guess you imagine it like a Christmas card but to tell the truth I think many Japanese people feel too much burden to send new year’s card. As I mentioned today it’s not easy to make the card and the number of cards are too much. You must send the New Year’s card except for being in mourning.
This custom is very interesting and a little bit hard for us!
When you visit Japan, it will be fun to receive the New Year’s Card and send it too for you!

See you next time!