01. New Year's Day January 1, the first day of a New Year is the most significant day of the year. On january 1, 2 and 3, most people stay home from work to celebrate the beginning of a New Year. Young people, away from home, working in urban areas, also return home to rejoin their families in celebrating the New year. Originally, the new year referred to the entire month of january. Now, it generally signifies the first three days of january or matsu no uchi (first week of january). In olden days, the gate of each house was festooned with a sacred rope with tufts of straw, or decorated with pine branches (kadomatsu) or gate-pines, an arrangement of dark green pines and emerald-colored bamboo, to mark the new year. Recently, however, few homes have their doorways decorated with the kado matsu. 02. Hatsu Moude Many people pay the year's first visit the elaborated shrines and temples on the morning of new year's day to pray for a bright and happy year (hatsu moud...