1.
New Year deity; god of the incoming year
A Shinto deity believed to visit each household at the start of the new year, bringing blessings of good harvest and prosperity. Many New Year traditions are rooted in welcoming this deity.
Also written as 年神様. This deity is central to understanding Japanese New Year customs. Many traditions that seem decorative actually serve the purpose of welcoming, hosting, and sending off the 歳神様.
Key New Year customs linked to this deity:
- 門松: pine decorations at the entrance to guide the deity to the home
- 鏡餅: stacked rice cakes as an offering and dwelling place for the deity
- しめ縄: sacred rope marking the purified space
- 大掃除: year-end cleaning to prepare a pure environment
- お年玉: originally referred to the rice cake distributed by the household head, representing the deity's blessing
Common collocations
- 歳神様を迎える: to welcome the New Year deity
- 歳神様をお送りする: to see off the New Year deity
- 歳神様が宿る: for the deity to dwell (in the kagami-mochi)
Similar words
- 氏神: tutelary deity — the local guardian god of a community
- 福の神: god of fortune — a general term for deities bringing luck