One of the New Year’s traditions that we regularly observe is the placing of kadomatsu at our front door and in the house.
It is customary to tie branches of pine (matsu) at one’s doorstep to welcome the God of Harvests to one’s home. In ancient Japan, it was believed that the god Oinari, the patron of prosperity for farmers and merchants, lived in the branches of the pine trees.A special kodamatsu of bamboo, pine and plum is often placed throughout the house. The pine represents longevity, the bamboo represents resiliency, and the plum represents new beginnings and purity.
The bamboo is often cut at an angle, a practice that had its beginnings in the era of Shogun Tokugawa. In 1572, the shogun suffered his first and only defeat, and sliced the bamboo to show his intention – defeat his foe, Takeda Shingen, the next time they met in battle.
Interesting, huh?
Craig, that is so totally cool! I did not know about this tradition, but I am going to incorporate it into our New Year celebrations. We have pine, bamboo, and plum all growing, so we can just go harvest our own. Thanks so much for sharing this.
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