New Year - Wallpaper and Scan Gallery

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New Year Theme

Tagged under Holidays.

New Year is the period of transition between the current year and the next. According to the Gregorian calendar, a year ends on the 31st of December and the next one begins on the 1st of January. Other calendars have the new year begin in January or February (the Chinese New Year) or even April (the Assyrian New Year), in accordance to local practices and traditions.

During the Japanese New Year it is customary to don formal kimono and visit the local shrine to pray. Visitors can also write their wishes for the new year on ema. During the first days of the new year, Shinto worshipers can also buy hamaya, a "demon-breaking arrow" that is said to bring good luck.

Traditional foods include osechi-ryōri, a name given to various dishes typically consumed during this time; mochi, which is shaped into various decorations; and toshikoshi soba (buckwheat noodles). In anime, characters can also be depicted eating tangerines or oranges.