Hi everyone!
How have you guys been doing recently?
We hope that you guys are safe and healthy!
2021 will end soon.
Do you know about Japanese new year traditions?
One of them is called 初詣 (hatsumoude), which is a tradition of visiting a shrine in the beginning of the year to pray for success, health, etc.
The other tradition is giving new year cards called 年賀状 (nengajou) to relatives and acquaintances.
Let's talk about 年賀状!
Japanese give new year cards to tell each other's condition or what they've been doing for the year.
Through new year cards, we can get in touch with people who we haven't met for a long time.
It's a good tradition, but some people may have to spend a lot of time making new year cards because they have many acquaintances.
PINGPONG! Here are some quiz questions:
１．年賀状の歴史はどのぐらいでしょうか？
(When did the new year card tradition start?)
Answer: １００年前 (100 years ago)
２．日本人の大人は普通一年に何枚ぐらい年賀状を書くでしょうか？
(How many new year cards on average does a Japanese adult write?)
Answer: 約１００枚 (around 100 pieces)
３．年賀状は１１月１日から売り始めますが、どこで売り始めますか？
(New year cards will be sold for the first time in the year from November 1st. Where can you buy it?)
Answer: 郵便局 (Post office)
４．年賀状はいつ相手のところに届くのが一番いいですか？
(When is the best time for new year cards to arrive at the receiver's house?)
Answer: １月１日 (January 1st)
５．年賀はがきの下に書いてある番号はどんな意味ですか？
(What is the meaning of the number written on the bottom side of the new year card?)
Answer: お年玉プレゼントの抽選番号 (A lottery number for cash prize)
Now, let's learn about how to write a new year card.
You can send it to your friends, teachers, or families later.
First, you have to buy a new year post card in a post office.
New year post cards are different from normal post cards because they have a lottery number and a special sign that tells postmen to deliver it on January 1st
Actually, you can use normal post cards too, but you have to write a sign that it is a new year card, so they will deliver it on January 1st.
Just write 年賀状 on the top side of the post card.
On the front side, we write our and the receiver's name, address, and postal code.
On the back side, we can write our message.
We can divide a new year card's structure into 4 parts:
1. 新年の挨拶 (New year greetings)
2. 添え書き (Accompanying note)
3. 日付 (Date)
4. 近況など (Recent condition/news, etc.)
Look at the slides for more details.
People usually decorate new year cards according to the Chinese Zodiac on that year.
For example, if it is a monkey year, then people with put monkey pictures on the new year cards.
You can use a computer to decorate your new year cards too.
There are some cases where we are not allowed to send new year cards.
For example, when we are mourning someone's death.
Instead of new year cards, we can send 喪中はがき (mochuu hagaki) (in mourning post card) at December to tell people that we cannot send new year cards.
In the middle of January, we also have to send 寒中見舞い (kanchuu mimai) cards as a replacement for new year cards.
The content is almost the same with new year cards.
Are you ready to write your first 年賀状?
How have you guys been doing recently?
We hope that you guys are safe and healthy!
2021 will end soon.
Do you know about Japanese new year traditions?
One of them is called 初詣 (hatsumoude), which is a tradition of visiting a shrine in the beginning of the year to pray for success, health, etc.
The other tradition is giving new year cards called 年賀状 (nengajou) to relatives and acquaintances.
Let's talk about 年賀状!
Japanese give new year cards to tell each other's condition or what they've been doing for the year.
Through new year cards, we can get in touch with people who we haven't met for a long time.
It's a good tradition, but some people may have to spend a lot of time making new year cards because they have many acquaintances.
PINGPONG! Here are some quiz questions:
１．年賀状の歴史はどのぐらいでしょうか？
(When did the new year card tradition start?)
Answer: １００年前 (100 years ago)
２．日本人の大人は普通一年に何枚ぐらい年賀状を書くでしょうか？
(How many new year cards on average does a Japanese adult write?)
Answer: 約１００枚 (around 100 pieces)
３．年賀状は１１月１日から売り始めますが、どこで売り始めますか？
(New year cards will be sold for the first time in the year from November 1st. Where can you buy it?)
Answer: 郵便局 (Post office)
４．年賀状はいつ相手のところに届くのが一番いいですか？
(When is the best time for new year cards to arrive at the receiver's house?)
Answer: １月１日 (January 1st)
５．年賀はがきの下に書いてある番号はどんな意味ですか？
(What is the meaning of the number written on the bottom side of the new year card?)
Answer: お年玉プレゼントの抽選番号 (A lottery number for cash prize)
Now, let's learn about how to write a new year card.
You can send it to your friends, teachers, or families later.
First, you have to buy a new year post card in a post office.
New year post cards are different from normal post cards because they have a lottery number and a special sign that tells postmen to deliver it on January 1st
Actually, you can use normal post cards too, but you have to write a sign that it is a new year card, so they will deliver it on January 1st.
Just write 年賀状 on the top side of the post card.
On the front side, we write our and the receiver's name, address, and postal code.
On the back side, we can write our message.
We can divide a new year card's structure into 4 parts:
1. 新年の挨拶 (New year greetings)
2. 添え書き (Accompanying note)
3. 日付 (Date)
4. 近況など (Recent condition/news, etc.)
Look at the slides for more details.
People usually decorate new year cards according to the Chinese Zodiac on that year.
For example, if it is a monkey year, then people with put monkey pictures on the new year cards.
You can use a computer to decorate your new year cards too.
There are some cases where we are not allowed to send new year cards.
For example, when we are mourning someone's death.
Instead of new year cards, we can send 喪中はがき (mochuu hagaki) (in mourning post card) at December to tell people that we cannot send new year cards.
In the middle of January, we also have to send 寒中見舞い (kanchuu mimai) cards as a replacement for new year cards.
The content is almost the same with new year cards.
Are you ready to write your first 年賀状?
