2. Congratulations
"Happy New Year"—"Happy New Year," is heard everywhere, and the shining, smiling faces of the little
people beam with earnestness and light heartedness; the very birds seem to be trilling in a tender tone, and the
exquisite wild plum blossom (the nume) breathes its perfume and loveliness over all,
while the soft strains of the beautiful national hymn might be heard from a thousand homes, mingled with the
accompaniment of the koto [1] and the samisen. [2] On this day all the members of a family congratulate
each other the first thing in the morning and then sit at tables, each one having a little one to themselves, the
table being perhaps not over half a foot high. Spiced cake is then passed around, symbolic of the wish that each
one may drink a cup of immortality, then soup follows, and they all wish the others ten thousand years of
joy.
[[1]]
koto: lyre-like instrument.
[[2]]
samisen: Japanese stringed instrument with an elongated neck and
three strings.
