1.
traditional New Year's cuisine; osechi
Special dishes prepared for the Japanese New Year holiday, served in tiered lacquer boxes called jubako. Each dish carries symbolic meaning for prosperity, health, happiness, or long life in the new year.
正月にはおせち料理を食べる。
We eat osechi cuisine on New Year's.
母が毎年おせち料理を手作りしている。
My mother makes osechi by hand every year.
最近はデパートやネットでおせち料理を注文する家庭も増えている。
Recently, more and more households are ordering osechi from department stores or online.
おせち料理の一つ一つには縁起の良い意味が込められている。
Each dish in osechi carries an auspicious meaning.
The word おせち comes from 御節供, referring to seasonal celebrations. Traditionally, osechi was prepared before New Year's so the family could rest from cooking during the first days of the new year. Dishes are arranged in stacked lacquer boxes (重箱).
COMMON DISHES AND THEIR SYMBOLISM:
- 黒豆: black beans — health and diligence
- 数の子: herring roe — fertility and prosperity
- 海老: shrimp — longevity (curved back like an elder)
- 栗きんとん: sweet chestnut paste — wealth
- 伊達巻: sweet rolled omelette — learning and culture
COMMON COLLOCATIONS:
- おせち料理を作る: to prepare osechi
- おせち料理を注文する: to order osechi
- 手作りのおせち料理: homemade osechi
- おせちを詰める: to arrange osechi in boxes
SIMILAR WORDS:
- 雑煮: New Year's mochi soup — another traditional New Year's dish; regional variations are notable
- 年越しそば: New Year's Eve soba — eaten on December 31st, not part of osechi