The world had begun the New year and people had celebrate it. As well as other people, almost Japanese people have holiday during New year called Sho-gatsu.
Usually, family gather to celebrate the New year and eat New year's food called Osechi and drink sake[alcohol] in there.
Of course I drank alcohol. However too much! so I caught a cold.

I had written the word Osechi before, but you can't probably understand substance of them.
Osechi is a many kinds of dishes and all of them have a happy massage.

[Massage of Osechi]

Kazunoko [herring roe] have a wish of family's prosperity.

Kurikinton is a mashed potatoes containing sweetened chestnuts and it looks like gold, so it contains wish of a lot of money.

konbu-maki [Rolled seaweed] sounds like YOROKOBU in Japanese. It means pleasure.

Ebi [Shrimp] is curved like character of C. It looks like elderly person's curved back and means wish of long life that we live long energetically.

　　

Kuro-mame [Black soybean] sounds same as MAME in Japanese. It means to work seriously.

Kou-haku Kamaboko [red and white boiled fish paste]. A red and white color are loved in Japan from of old. Red expresses happiness and pleasure, and white expresses sacredness.
　　

[History of Osechi]

Osechi is came from China and it's the dish that cook to celebrate the new year. However, SECHI of osechi means season in Japanese, so originally it was used to celebrate each season and it was the culture for aristocrat. It was after World War II that Osechi became present style.

Almost dishes are made from material that is possible to preserve, so We don't have to prepare the dishes during Sho-gatsu. Because Sho-gatsu is a holiday for all of Japanese, so japanese mother is not necessary to cook dishes. Moreover, ancient Japanese said that the god exists close to us during Sho-gatsu and it is impoliteness to cook when the god comes.