It's 9 AM on January 1st, 2024. Everyone's sleeping off their hangovers. And I'm standing at Castle Island in Boston, about to jump into the Atlantic Ocean. In January. My kids are watching. "Is my dad crazy!?" After the 38-degree plunge, we go home to Osechi - traditional Japanese New Year's feast spread across lacquered boxes. Cold water for discipline. Osechi for intention. This is how I start the year.
Read MoreIn Japan, the New Year is a time of celebration. Families gather together to eat traditional food called osechi. There are many different dishes in this special meal, and each one has a meaning or symbolism related to the New Year. For example, one popular dish during New Year's celebrations is ozoni. This soup typically contains mochi (a type of rice cake) and vegetables.
Read MoreIn Japan, the New Year is a time of celebration. Families gather together to eat traditional food called osechi. There are many different dishes in this special meal, and each one has a meaning or symbolism related to the New Year. For example, one popular dish during New Year's celebrations is ozoni. This soup typically contains mochi (a type of rice cake) and vegetables.
Read MoreOsechi are a beloved part of the Japanese New Year celebration. The tradition dates back to over 1,000 years ago when people in Japan would prepare special foods to celebrate the arrival of the new year. These traditional New Year foods are an important part of the holiday, and they are deeply rooted in Japanese culture and history.
Read MoreOsechi ryori are traditional Japanese New Year foods. The tradition started in the Heian Period (794-1185). Osechi are easily recognizable by their special boxes called Jubako , which resemble bento boxes. Like bentō boxes, Jubako are often kept stacked before and after use. "Osechi is what most people in Japan eat at the beginning of the new year. Regardless of how many times you go to Japanese restaurants, osechi isn't something you'll ever find on a Japanese menu. Its time and place are the first few days in January, in the Japanese home.
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