お正月を英語で説明してみよう！
＜key words＞
The New Year’s holiday お正月
New Year’s gift of money お年玉
New Year’s visit to a shrine or a temple 初詣
special dishes for the New Year’s holidays おせち
soup with rice cakes 雑煮
family reunion 親族の集まり
The New Year’s holiday is called “oshougatsu” in Japanese.
新年の休日ことを日本語で「お正月」と言います。
The New Year’s holiday is the most important holiday for the Japanese people,
comparable to Christmas in Western countries.
お正月は日本人にとって最も重要な休日で、西洋諸国のクリスマスに匹敵します。
There are many events and customs to celebrate the New Year’s holiday.
お正月を祝うための行事や慣習がたくさんあります。
Many Japanese people visit shrines or temples to make wishes for the coming year.
This event is called “hatsumoude”.
たくさんの日本人が新年に向けての願い事をしに神社や寺を訪れます。
この行事を「初詣」と言います。
A gift of money called “otoshi dama” is traditionally given to young children by parents and relatives
during the New Year’s holidays.
昔からお正月休みに「お年玉」と呼ばれるお小遣いが両親や親戚から幼い子どもたちに贈られます。
Many people send each other New Year’s cards called “nengajo” to wish them a happy New Year.
たくさんの人が良い年を祈って「年賀状」と呼ばれる新年のはがきを送り合います。
There are many family reunions during the New Year’s holidays.
They eat special dishes for the New Year’s holidays called “osechi” and soup with rice cakes called “ozoni”
お正月には多くの家族が再会します。「おせち」と呼ばれるお正月用の特別な料理や「お雑煮」と呼ばれる
餅のはいったスープを食べます。