The holiday season always feels as if it flies right on by year after year. Most would think this is simply because the holidays are in such close proximity to each other compared to other holidays in the rest of the year. Well, in the country of Japan, the most significant holiday of the year is New Year's, with preparations being made weeks in advance. In Japan, New Year's Day is regarded as a very important holiday with families taking part in many traditions and customs that are simply essential to celebrate. Some very old traditions that much of Japan still abides by includes Otoshidama which actually resembles some aspects of Christmas. In this tradition, parents give a certain amount of money to their children based upon their ages. They present this gift to their children in a decorative envelope. Another age-old tradition that is fundamental to the celebration of New Year's is Shinto, which is Japan’s indigenous religion. Since it is believed that God will enter the house on New Year's Day, it is critical that the house be thoroughly cleaned so that God is properly welcomed. Additionally, God was not to be disturbed with the sounds of cooking for the first three days of the new year. This left mothers cooking days prior to the holiday in order to compensate for this time. It is also quite customary for Japanese families to spend most of their time with each other. Schools close on the 25th of December, but it's not for Christmas, though. Instead, schools are closed in order to allow for ample time to prepare for the New Year's festivities. As mentioned earlier, it is quite common for businesses to prepare for the holiday by deep cleaning their shops. Due to this, it is rare for any shops to open on the first day of the year. Most people simply stay at home and celebrate this special day. In some cases, people will not celebrate the new year at all if a close relative passed in the previous year as a sign of mourning. New Year's Day has brought joy to the Japanese for years. There are numerous traditions that coincide with the massive celebration that help to bring in the new year. Appearing to some as an extension of Christmas is the act of giving cards to the immediate and extended family. These cards are sent out days before so they get delivered on the first of January. The interesting part about all of this is the fact that January 1st was not considered the first day of the year until 1873 when the Japanese began to follow the Western calendar. Prior to this year, the Japanese new year was based on the Chinese lunar calendar.