My Nagano life, in sominshouraifu (guess which year I skipped to go to Disneyland)
先週の週末に2つの大事な信州のお正月行事に参加しました。
7日土曜日の夜は上田市にある信州国分寺の八日堂縁日
と9日月曜日のこの上山田温泉地区のどんど焼き。
この二つの行事に参加したら、この新しい年が始まったとやっと感じます。
国分寺の八日堂は七日の夜に一番盛り上がります。寒い冬の夜(今年は-７℃だった！）でお参りして、市場でだるまを買って(皆、交渉が上手だな！）、露天商でたこ焼きなどを食べて(今年はオムレツフランクフルトとデビューしました！）、
そしてこの日でしか手には入れない蘇民将来符（そみんしょうらいふ）お守りを買う。
今年は4番目の大きさを買いました。来年はまた1番目の大きさから始まります。今まで買った蘇民将来符を並んでみたら自分の長野での人生が分かり、私にとっては意味の深いシンボルです。
どんど焼きも違う意味で奥深い行事です。千曲川沿いの公園でだるまや竹など、お正月で使った飾りを燃やすのは印象的ですが、それより近所の皆様と挨拶して、一緒にお酒を飲んで、焼き立てのお餅を食べて、とにかく「一緒になる」という所がポイントです。町興しはこうで、夏祭りはああでではなく、ただ単に「仲間だ」との事。
私はその仲間に入れさせて頂いて、幸せです。
2012年は良い年になる様に!
Here in Nagano, we have a couple of celebrations on the first weekend of the year that, without which, the year doesn't really start.
This past Saturday was Ueda City's Kokubun-Ji Temple's Yokado festival, and the holiday Monday was our neighborhood's 'dondo-yaki' bonfire.
Yokado is mainly celebrated in the evening on January 7th. Everyone gathers in the cold (it was -7C this year!) to pay their respects at the temple, then buys a dharma doll at the dharma market (those guys really know how to bargain with you!), and buy some fried octopus balls or something at one of the food stands (I tried an omelet-frankfurter for the first time). Most important, though, is buying a "sominshouraifu", a hand carved and painted wooden object that supposedly wards off evil and beckons good luck for the new year.
For me, though, these talismans are a symbol of my life here in Nagano. This year, I bought the 4th one, the biggest size. Next year I start over at the 1st one, the smallest. When lined up, the sominshouraifu are a visual reminder to me of how long I've been here.
On Monday, the "Coming of Age Day" holiday, everyone from our Kamiyamada Onsen neighborhood gathered at the park along the Chikuma river, piled up all the spent New Years decorations, and had a bonfire. While the fire is a sensual treat, it is the bonding with the neighbors over sake and fresh-roasted mochi sticky rice that is so meaningful for me. Forget all the civic improvement meetings and the summer festival worries, it is a time for simply slapping a neighbor on the back, wishing them a happy new year, seeing how their children have grown, and having a sake with them.
I feel fortunate to have this community here to bond with!
信濃国分寺 Shinano Kokubun-Ji Temple
With Andy braving the -7C temp's at Yokado
The Dondo Yaki pyre
Happy New Year sake and mochi
