TRAVELLIVE MAGAZINE Travellive 12-2015

JAPAN: Eat Osechi, decorate Kadomatsu tree NHÜT BÅN - °N OSECHI, TRANG TRê C¢Y KADOMATSU MING N°M MõI Chu»n bﬁ m„n ®n mıng n®m mÌi Oshogatsu lµ mÈt trong nh˜ng phong tÙc Æ∆c bi÷t Î NhÀt. CÚng giËng nh≠ Gi∏ng sinh Î Ch©u ¢u, N®m MÌi Oshogatsu cÒa NhÀt B∂n lµ kho∂ng thÍi gian dµnh cho gia Æ◊nh. Th´ng th≠Íng ng≠Íi phÙ n˜ trong gia Æ◊nh sœ Æi mua c∏c hÈp Bento Æ∆c bi÷t g‰i lµ Osechi Ryori bÎi h‰ sœ kh´ng n†u n≠Ìng trong nh˜ng ngµy T’t Oshogatsu. Osechi Æ≠Óc chu»n bﬁ v´ cÔng k˙ c´ng vµ do Æ„ kh∏ Ææt ti“n, gi∏ ti“n trung b◊nh tı 18.000 - 27.000 Yen/ hÈp (t≠¨ng Æ≠¨ng 3,5 Æ’n g«n 5 tri÷u ÆÂng). Phong tÙc ®n Osechi bæt Æ«u tı thÍi Heian nh˜ng n®m 794 - 1185. Tıng m„n ®n trong hÈp Osechi Ryori Æ“u c„ mÈt ˝ ngh‹a Æ∆c bi÷t dµnh cho n®m mÌi. M„n qu˝t Daidai lµ lÍi chÛc phÛc cho con trŒ, m„n tr¯ng cuÈn Datemaki tr´ng nh≠ nh˜ng quy”n s∏ch cuÈn mang lπi h‰c v†n uy™n th©m. N’u m„n rong bi”n Konbu Æem Æ’n ni“m vui (tı Yorokobu ngh‹a lµ ni“m vui trong ti’ng NhÀt), m„n ÆÀu nµnh Æen Kuromame lπi c„ ˝ ngh‹a c«u mong cho s¯c kh·e vµ an lµnh. Trong khi Æ„, m„n khoai lang nghi“n Kurikinton vµng ∏nh t≠Óng tr≠ng cho thﬁnh v≠Óng... Trung b◊nh mÈt hÈp Osechi Ryori c„ 19 m„n kh∏c nhau, trong Æ„ chæc chæn kh´ng th” thi’u t´m hÔm Ebi c„ h◊nh dπng nh≠ ´ng cÙ giµ, bi”u t≠Óng cho s˘ tr≠Íng th‰, m„n c∏ tr∏p Æ· Tai Æπi di÷n cho nh˜ng Æi“u tËt lµnh. ß∆c bi÷t, khi Æ„n n®m mÌi Î NhÀt B∂n, bπn Æıng qu™n gi∑ n∏t Mochi Kagami (mÈt loπi b∏nh gπo NhÀt B∂n) vµo ngµy cuËi n®m 29/12, ngµy cÒa s˘ Æau khÊ (do sË 9 ÆÂng ©m vÌi tı Æau khÊ). TÀp tÙc nµy t≠Óng tr≠ng cho vi÷c Æ∏nh bπi c∏c kh„ kh®n. Nh˜ng chi’c b∏nh gi∑ n∏t nµy sau Æ„ sœ Æ≠Óc n∆n lπi thµnh b∏nh mochi nh· h¨n vµ Æ≠Óc ®n vµo n®m mÌi. ô Vi÷t Nam, ng≠Íi d©n th≠Íng treo phong l◊ x◊, vµ trang tr› c©y mai, c©y Æµo. Cﬂn Î NhÀt B∂n, ng≠Íi NhÀt cÚng trang tr› mÈt loπi c©y Æ∆c bi÷t mıng n®m mÌi: Kadomatsu. Kadomatsu c„ ngh‹a lµ “cÊng c©y th´ng” Æ≠Óc lµm tı Ëng tre vµ l∏ th´ng. Kadomatsu Æ≠Óc cho lµ n¨i th«n Kami - th«n cai qu∂n mÔa mµng trÛ ngÙ. Kadomatsu lu´n Æ≠Óc tr≠ng bµy thµnh c∆p, Æ” hai b™n cˆa nhµ, lµ h◊nh ∂nh Æ∆c tr≠ng nh†t cÒa n≠Ìc NhÀt trong ngµy Æ«u n®m. Prepare foods for Oshogatsu - the New Year holiday is one of the most special customs in Japan. Like Christmas in the Europe, Oshogatsu is the time for family. Women usually buy Bento boxes, specially named Osechi Ryori because they do not cook during the days of Oshogatsu. Osechi is prepared meticulously; therefore, they are quite expensive. The average price is about 18,000 to 27,000 Yen/box. The custom of eating Osechi started during the Heian period (794-1185). Each dish in Osechi Ryori features a distinct meaning for the New Year. Daidai tangerine is a blessing for children whereas Datemaki (egg rolls) look like books representing knowledge. While, Konbu seaweed brings happiness (Yorokobu means happiness in Japanese), Kuromame black soy is a wish of health and peacefulness. At the same time, yellow Kurikinton (mashed sweet potatoes) symbolizes prosperity. Generally, each Osechi Ryori box consists of 19 different dishes. The indispensable dishes are Ebi lobsters which look like old men, the symbol of longevity, and red Tai fish representing good things. One more special thing you should do in Japan is smashing Mochi Kagami (a kind of Japanese rice cake) on December 29th - the day of sadness. This custom is considered the way of defeating troubles. Smashed cakes will be reused to make smaller mochi cakes, eaten in the new year. In Vietnam, people often hang lucky envelopes and decorate apricot and peach trees. In Japan, they decorate another special tree named Kadomatsu. It is made from bamboo tubes and pine needles. Kadomatsu means “pine gate”. Kadomatsu is said to be the place where Kami, the god who controls crops, lives. A couple of Kadomatsu trees are displayed on the two sides of the main door, making the signature image of Japan in the first days of the year. TRAVELLIVE 79

TRAVELLIVE MAGAZINE Travellive 12-2015 | Page 79