KNOXVILLE, Tenn. — The start of the new year is exciting for many people across the world. In Japanese culture, New Year's Day is the most important holiday.
The Knox Asian Festival held the first-ever celebration for the 2022 Japanese New Year. Shoko Matsuoaka leads the festival but was excited to share her own cultural traditions for the new year to Knoxville.
"I am so happy that we can introduce Japanese New Year culture to Knoxville this time," Matsuoaka said.
She said this holiday is very special.
"New Year is very important in Japan because we don't celebrate Christmas in Japan so the new year is a kind of Christmas here," Matsuoaka said.
In Japanese culture, New Year's traditions are associated with purification and renewal. Some traditions shared in the celebration Sunday included the pounding of rice to mochi and writing New Year's cards.
"Instead of sending Christmas cards in Japan, we send nengajo which means New Year cards to each other," Matsuoaka said,
Some of the cards have stickers and drawings of the zodiac animal of the year. Matsuoaka said 2022 is the year of the tiger meaning we should have a good year ahead of us.
"We have been having such a long pandemic and I hope this new year is the start of a good year," Matsuoaka said.
After canceling the last two years because of the pandemic, the Knox Asian Festival will make its return this summer. The festival will be held in late August.