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JAN

January

January is a month of many events.
January 1 is “Ganjitsu” (written with the characters for “start” and “day”), and several days before that holidays start not only for schools, but most companies, and government offices (for example, the typical holidays of government offices extend between December 29 and January 3).
Most people spend New Year’s Day at home with family, looking at the New Year’s cards they have received and enjoying traditional New Year’s foods like o-zōni and o-setchi ryōri, and many go out for their “first-visit” (hatsu-mōde) to pray at the local shrine or temple. Quite a few people use the New Year’s holiday to travel.
On Adult’s Day (Seijin no Hi), now set on the second Monday of January, ceremonies are held to celebrate the coming to adulthood of young people aged 20 in each community, and those being celebrated often dress up in formal kimono for the occasion. Twenty is the age when people in Japan gain the right to vote and to drink alcoholic beverages and smoke on their own responsibility.
In addition to these and other celebrations, January is also the beginning of the season of entrance examinations to junior high school, high school and university.

Holidays: New Year’s (Ganjitsu; January 1), Adult’s Day (Seijin no Hi; second Monday)

Related site:
"Deai" Teacher Support Information/MiniEncyclopedia/Annual Events/Year End and the New Year http://www.tjf.or.jp/deai/contents/teacher/mini_en/html/toshikoshi.html