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Brief Entries

新年 【しんねん】 shinnen, New Year

新年【しんねん】:時候 【じこう】
shinnen: jikō, New Year: The Season

初春 【はつはる】 hatsuharu, early spring [but refers to the New Year period when used in a haikai verse; do not confuse with 立春【りっしゅん】 risshun, first day of spring; note that outside of an actual verse, 初春 may be pronounced either【しょしゅん】shoshun or【はつはる】hatsuharu, and refers to the first third of spring--see note on calendar] (New Year).
明の春 【あけのはる】 ake no haru, dawn of spring [see above]
今朝の春 【けさのはる】 kesa no haru, this morning's spring [see above]
去年今年 【こぞことし】 kozokotoshi, last year and this year (New Year).
去年 【こぞ】 kozo, last year
去年 【きょねん】 kyonen, last year
元日 【がんじつ】 ganjitsu, (ぐわんじつ), New Year's Day (New Year).

新年【しんねん】:天文 【てんもん】
shinnen: tenmon, New Year: The Heavens

初日 【はつひ】 hatsu hi, first sun [that is, New Year's Day sunrise] (New Year).
初日影 【はつひかげ】 hatsu hikage, first sunshine
初日の出 【はつひので】 hatsu hinode, first sunrise
初空 【はつぞら】 hatsuzora, first sky [that is, on New Year's Day] (New Year).
初御空 【はつみそら】 hatsu misora, first sky [御「み」 -mi- is honorific, but carries also the notion of beauty by way of homonym 美【み】mi]
淑気 【しゃくき】 shakuki, pure air / pristine air [as a congratulatory welcome to the New Year] (New Year).
初凪 【はつなぎ】 hatsunagi, first calm [wind and sea on New Year's Day] (New Year).
御降 【おさがり】 osagari, first precipitation [on New Year's Day] (New Year).

新年【しんねん】:地理 【ちり】
shinnen: chiri, New Year: New Year: The Earth.

初富士 【はつふじ】 hatsu fuji, first Mt. Fuji [that is, seeing Mt. Fuji for the first time on or soon after New Year's Day] (New Year).

新年【しんねん】:生活 【せいかつ】
shinnen: seikatsu, New Year: Daily Life

春着 【はるぎ】 harugi, spring clothes (New Year).
正月小袖 【しょうがつこそで】 shōgatsu kosode, New Year's short sleeves [that is, short kimono sleeves]
春襲 【はるがさね】 harugasane, spring clothing [implies layers]
春衣装 【はるいしょう】 haru ishō, spring clothes
喰積 【くいつみ】 kuitsumi, (くひつみ), stacked food / assembled food [for New Year's meals] (New Year).
重詰 【じゅうづめ】 jūzume, food in stacked lacquered boxes
組重 【くみじょう】 kumijō, assembled (food) boxes [filled lacquered-box set]
食継 【くいつぎ】 kuitsugi, assembled food
お手掛け 【おてかけ】 otekake, something to hold [polite formula when offering food; the food offered]
年酒 【ねんしゅ】 nenshu, New Year's saké (New Year).
【としざけ】 toshizake, New Year's saké
屠蘇 【とそ】 toso, mulled saké
雑煮祝ふ 【ぞうにいわう】 zōni iwau, (ざうにいはふ), (to) celebrate with zōni (New Year).
雑煮 【ぞうに】 zōni, zōni [a New Year's dish: a clear vegetable broth with rice cakes]
羮を祝ふ 【かんをいわう】 kan o iwau, (to) celebrate with hot soup
雑煮餅 【ぞうにもち】 zōni mochi, mochi made for zōni soup
門松 【かどまつ】 kadomatsu, (New Year's) gate pine(s) [decorations placed on either side of gate, outer doorway, etc.] (New Year).
松飾り 【まつかざり】 matsu kazari, pine decoration(s)
飾り松 【かざりまつ】 kazari matsu, decorative pine(s)
飾り竹 【かざりたけ】 kazari take, decorative bamboo
門の松 【かどのまつ】 kado no matsu, gate pine(s)
飾 【かざり】 kazari, (New Year's) decoration (New Year).
お飾 【おかざり】 (御飾り)okazari, New Year's decoration
輪飾 【わかざり】 wakazari, straw wreath [for New Year's]
鏡餅 【かがみもち】 kagami-mochi, mirror rice cake(s) [large rice-cakes used as a New Year's offering] (New Year).
御鏡 【おかがみ】 okagami, august/revered mirror (rice cake[s])
具足餅 【ぐそくもち】 gusoku mochi, armor-plate rice cake(s)
鎧餅 【よろいもち】 yoroi mochi, armor rice cake(s) [these last two are fancy names for mirror rice cake(s)]
初暦 【はつごよみ】 hatsugoyomi, new calendar [literally "first (use of the new) calendar"] (New Year).
暦開 【こよみびらき】 koyomibiraki, opening the (new) calendar
初夢 【はつゆめ】 hatsu-yume, first dream (New Year).
貘枕 【ばくまくら】 baku-makura, tapir pillow [that is, a pillow with a picture of a tapir under it]
初寝覚 【はつねざめ】 hatsu-nezame, first awakening
年賀 【ねんが】 nenga, New Year's greetings (New Year).
年始 【ねんし】 nenshi, New Year's call / New Year's greetings
年礼 【ねんれい】 nenrei, New Year's greetings
門礼 【かどれい】 kadorei, (New Year's) greetings at the gate
回礼 【かいれい】 kairei, greetings-round [making New Year's courtesy calls]
賀詞 【がし】 gashi, (New Year's) congratulations / greetings
賀状 【がじょう】 gajō, (がじやう), (New Year's) greeting card (New Year).
年賀状 【ねんがじょう】 nengajō, New Year's greeting card
年始状 【ねんしじょう】 nenshijō, New Year's card
年賀葉書 【ねんがはがき】 nenga hagaki, New Year's postcard
年玉 【としだま】 toshidama, New Year's present/gift [usually money] (New Year).
お年玉 【おとしだま】 (御年玉)otoshidama, New Year's gift [recipient's viewpoint]
年の餅 【としのもち】 toshi no mochi, New Year's rice cake [often a gift]
書初 【かきぞめ】 kakizome, first calligraphy [of the New Year] (New Year).
筆始 【ふではじめ】 fude hajime, first (use of the) writing-brush [in the New Year]
試筆 【しひつ】 shihitsu, trying the brush [for the first time in the New Year]
吉書 【きっしょ】 kissho, lucky writing [that is, the first writing of the New Year]
歌留多 【かるた】 karuta, playing cards [in haikai, always indicates the waka-based card-game traditionally played at the New Year] (New Year).
歌留多会 【かるたかい】 karutakai, card party [in haikai, part of New Year's festivities]
歌かるた 【うたかるた】 uta karuta, waka playing cards
いろは歌留多 【いろはがるた】 irohagaruta, i-ro-ha playing cards [based on Japanese syllabary; equivalent to "a-b-c cards"]
正月の凧 【しょうがつのたこ】 shōgatsu no tako, (しやうぐわつのたこ), New Year's kite (New Year).
凧揚 【たこあげ】 takoage, kite flying
紙鳶 【しえん】 shien, paper black kite [an unfortunate pun in English; this "black kite" is the bird, Milvus migrans, Japanese 鳶【とび】 tobi]
【いかのぼり(凧)】 ikanobori, kite
追羽子 【おいばね】 oibane, (おひばね), battledore and shuttlecock (New Year).
遣羽子 【やりばね】 yaribane, battledore and shuttlecock
羽子つく 【はねつく】 hane tsuku, (to) play battledore and shuttlecock
揚羽子 【あげばね】 agebane, battledore and shuttlecock
手毬 【てまり】 temari, hand ball [not to be confused with Western handball] (New Year).
手鞠 【てまり】 temari, hand ball
手毬唄 【てまりうた】 temariuta, hand-ball song
手毬子 【たまりご】 temarigo, hand-ball girl [that is, one playing with a hand ball]
手毬つく 【てまりつく】 temari tsuku, (to) play with a hand ball
独楽 【こま】 koma, toy top (New Year).
破魔弓 【はまゆみ】 hamayumi, demon-quelling bow / exorcism bow (New Year).
破魔矢 【はまや】 hamaya, demon-quelling arrow / exorcism arrow [purchased at shrine during 初詣【はつもうで】 hatsumōde]
獅子舞 【ししまい】 shishimai, (ししまひ), lion dance (New Year).
太神楽 【だいかぐら】 daikagura, Great Kagura [Shinto music and dancing for the New Year]
竈祓 【かまどはらい】 kamadoharai, hearth-cleaning
獅子頭 【ししがしら】 shishigashira, lion's head [worn in the lion dance]

新年【しんねん】:行事 【ぎょうじ】
shinnen: gyōji, New Year: Observances

若水 【わかみず】 wakamizu, (わかみづ), first water [drawn on New Year's morning; literally "young water"] (New Year).
初水 【はつみず】 hatsu mizu, first water [literal]
若井 【わかい】 waka-i, first (visit to the) well [literally "young well"]
若水迎 【わかみずむかえ】 wakamizu-mukae, meeting the first water
福水 【ふくみず】 fukumizu, blessed water / blessing-water
出初 【でぞめ】 dezome, fire-brigade parade [literally "first going out"] (New Year).
消防出初式 【しょうぼうでぞめしき】 shōbō dezome-shiki, fire-brigade parade
七種 【ななくさ】 nana kusa, the seven herbs. [503] (New Year).
七草 【ななくさ】 nana kusa, the seven herbs
左義長 【さぎちょう】 sagichō, (さぎちやう), burning the (New Year's) decorations [normally January 14-15] (New Year).
【どんど】 dondo, burning the decorations
【とんど】 tondo, burning the decorations
飾焚く 【かざりたく】 kazari taku, (to) burn the decorations
初詣 【はつもうで】 hatsu-mōde, (はつまうで), first (temple/shrine) visit [of the New Year, on New Year's Day] (New Year).
初参 【はつまいり】 hatsu mairi, first visit
初社 【はつやしろ】 hatsu yashiro, first (visit to a) Shinto shrine

新年【しんねん】:動物 【どうぶつ】
shinnen: dōbutsu, New Year: Animals

初雀 【はつすずめ】 hatsu-suzume, first sparrow (New Year).
嫁が君 【よめがきみ】 yome ga kimi, mouse / rat [pet name, literally something like "a bride for you"] (New Year).

新年【しんねん】:植物 【しょくぶつ】
shinnen: shokubutsu, New Year: Plants

歯朶 【しだ】 shida, fern [used in New Year's decorations; while generic in common usage, in haikai used specifically for the following] (New Year).
裏白 【うらじろ】 urajiro, resurrection fern [literally "back-side white"; Gleichenia japonica, also known as G. glauca and Polypodium polypodioides; note that all kigo here are common names for this fern]
山草 【やまぐさ】 yamagusa, mountain plant [literal]
穂長 【ほなが】 honaga, long-ear [as of "seeds"; literal]
諸向 【もろむき】 muromuki, facing around [literal; refers to facing the fern's white leaf-backs to the front in displays]
福寿草 【ふくじゅそう】 fukujusō, (ふくじゆさう), pheasant's eye [Adonis amurensis] (New Year).
元日草 【がんじつそう】 ganjitsusō, New Year's Day plant [literal]
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