よいお年を！ = Yoi otoshi wo！+ Year End Japanese culture！

「これで年越しの準備はばっちり！」

= Korede toshikoshi no junbi wa bacchiri!

= Now I am all set to ring out the old year (and ring in the new year).

Hi everyone!! We only have a few days left this year.

So today I will teach you one easy line that you can use until end of the year.

よいお年をお迎え下さい。

= Yoi otoshi wo omukae kudasai.

= Please have a good (new) year./Happy New Year!

•よい = good

•お年 = year (By adding お it will make it more polite.)

•を = object marker

•お迎え下さい。 = omukae  = to have, to prepare

from a verb 迎える = mukaeru = to welcome, to have, to greet, to meet

Ex. お客さんを笑顔で迎える

= Okyaku san wo egao de mukaeru

= to greet customers with a smile

Ex. ２５歳の誕生日を迎える

= nijuugosai no tanjoubi wo mukaeru

= to reach one’s twenty-fifth birthday

Ex. 春を迎える

= haru wo mukaeru

= to welcome spring

verb : 迎える= mukaeru !to right! (more polite) お迎えする = omukaesuru

Note: Sometimes we omit お迎え下さい。 ( = Omukae kudasai ) and just say

「よいお年を 」= yoi otoshi wo.

:i: The translation of

「よいお年をお迎え下さい。」

= Yoi otoshi wo omukae kudasai.

can be Happy New Year but unlike English, you can’t say this phrase once a new year has started.

We only say or write this phrase in December when you say good-bye.

“OK, then, happy new year!”

Ex. それではよいお年を(お迎え下さい。）

= Soredewa yoi otoshi wo (omukae kudasai.)

Ex. それじゃあよいお年を! casual

= Sorejaa yoi otoshi wo!

We say this  to a person when we think we won’t see them again until next year from the middle of December until the end of the year, not usually early in December.

If we feel it is too early to say this but we think we won’t see the person again in December, we say,

「少し（or ちょっと）早いですが、よいお年をお迎え下さい。」

= Sukoshi (or Chotto) hayai desu ga yoi otoshi wo omukae kudasai.

= It is a little early but please have a great year!

Once a new year has started, we don’t say

よいお年を(お迎え下さい。） = Yoi otoshiwo (omukae kudasai).

Instead we say,

 

:k: 明けましておめでとうございます。

= Akemashite omedetou gozaimasu .

= Happy New Year!

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Now, before we say

「よいお年を（お迎え下さい。）」

= Yoi otoshi wo (omukae kudasai),

we often say these lines as well.

「今年もいろいろお世話になりました。」

= Kotoshi mo iroiro osewani narimashita.

= Thank you for everything you have done for me this year.

「また来年も宜しくお願い致します。」

=Mata rainen mo yoroshiku onegai itashimasu.

=Thank you in advance for all your support for this coming year.

:u:

Note : Once a new year has started, we say

今年も宜しくお願い致します。

= Kotoshi mo yoroshiku onegai itashimasu.

= Thank you in advance for all your support for this (coming) year.

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In the old Japanese calendar, December is called 師走 = shiwasu

We still refer to this time of  year as 師走 = shiwasu

The kanji for 師 = shi means “teachers, or masters” and 走 = hashiru/sou means “to run”

So please remember this word picturing Maggie “Sensei” is running in December!

Japanese people often say around this time of the year,

「年末(or 師走）はばたばたして忙しいです。」

= Nenmatsu (or shiwasu） wa batabata shite isogashii desu.

= It is very hectic in  the end of the year (or in December) .

•年末 = nenmatsu = end of the year

•ばたばた = batabata = onomatopoeia to describe someone in hurry or busy

•忙しい = isogashii = busy

Cultural note : How we spend 年末 = nenmatsu = end of the year

We are actually busy because we have to do many things.

:ii: 大掃除 = oosouji = general house cleaning

I’ve heard you do spring cleaning in the U.S., but in Japan we want to welcome the new year in a clean house so we do

大掃除 =oosouji= general house cleaning (The kanji literally means “big cleaning.” in December and prepare for お正月 =

oshougatsu = New Year’s Day for example, by buying special New Year’s decorations

:w: しめ飾り=shimekazari = the decoration you put at the door or car

 

:jjj: （お)鏡餅 = (o)kagami mochi = decorative round pounded mochi for New years.

:s: お節料理 = osechi ryouri = special New Year’s food prepared in square boxes.

 

Also we have to finish writing 

:w: 年賀状 = nengajou = new year’s cards and post them in December.

Also, at this time of the year, people throw a lot of

:n: 忘年会 = bounenkai = end-of-the-year party with their colleges, friends, etc.

忘 （れる）= wasu(reru) = to forget

年 = toshi/nen = year →

会 = kai = gathering, party

!to right! A party to forget about what you have suffered from through the year.

You will see a lot of TV commercials for stomach medicine preparing for this 忘年会 = bounenkai season

December 31st is called

大晦日 = oomisoka = New Year’s Eve

In order to

年を越す = toshi wo kosu = to see the old year passing, to cross a year

we customarily  eat  年越し蕎麦 = toshikoshi soba = “year-crossing Japanese noodles” on New Year’s Eve.

You have to eat it before January 1st.

From the picture above,

「これで年越しの準備はばっちり！」

= Korede toshikoshi no junbi wa bacchiri!

= Now I am all set to ring out the old year (and ring in the new year).

Maggie Sensei is ready to eat Soba noodles!

• これで = korede = with this, like this

• 年越し = toshikoshi = to see out the old year and welcome in the new year.

• 準備 = junbi = preparation

• ばっちり = bacchiri = perfect, great (colloquial)

It used to be a big deal for Japanese people to watch NHK TV’s  紅白歌合戦 = kouhaku utagassen = Red and White Grand Song Festival (Red represents female singers and white represents male singers) on New Year’s Eve but their ratings have been decreasing in recent years due  to competition from many more fun TV shows. There are now many more New Year’s Eve choices for television audiences.

At midnight, people listen to 除夜の鐘 = joya no kane = the sounding of temple bells. They stroke 108 times in accordance with the number of our 煩悩 = bonnou = worldly desires to remove them. They broadcast the sounding of bells from temples all over Japan.

Many people go to 初詣 = hatsumoude = first visit of the shrine or temples from the middle of the night on New Year’s Eve.

Note :  Check my New Year’s Lesson) 

マギー先生より = Maggie Sensei yori = From Maggie Sensei

マギーのサイトは皆さんの愛で支えられています。

= Maggie no saito wa minasan no ai de sasaerarete imasu.

=Maggie Sensei’s site is supported by your love.

これまでの皆さんの温かい応援に心から感謝しています。

= Koremade no minasan no atatakai ouen ni kokoro kara kansha shiteimasu.

= I sincerely appreciate all your warm support up to now.

どうかこれからも宜しくお願いします。

=Douka korekara mo yoroshiku onegai shimasu.

= Thank you in advance for your continued support.

そしてよいお年をお迎え下さい。

= Soshite yoi otoshi wo omukae kudasai.

= And have a Happy New Year!!

Love, !CHECKHEART!

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