日米関係の大掃除 Spring Cleaning Japanese Style

December 31, 2010: 日米関係Culture Shock

今日は大掃除の日でした。亀清旅館のロビーや、我々の住んでいる部屋、所々の隅々まで。

毎日にお掃除をやれば、こんなに大袈裟の大掃除はしなくて済むのに・・・  でも、毎日はこうやって梯子を上って、やる訳に行かないな。

ちなみに、何で日本はこんなに寒い時に大掃除をするのがどうしても不思議に思ってしまう。アメリカは春先で大掃除をするという習慣。冬の間はずっと暗くて、寒くて、窓を明かない状況。春になれば、久しぶりに窓を開けて、綺麗な風や太陽の光が入って… そうすると、「ウォ、部屋がこんなに汚いっけ?」と、自然に掃除したくなる。スプリングクリーニング(春のお掃除)と言います。

と、この寒い12月31日に大掃除をしながら、思い出しました。まあ、お正月のお客様が喜ぶためにだと思えば、頑張りたくなります。

Here at Kamesei Ryokan, we spent the last day of the year doing a major cleaning. Of course, if we cleaned all these spots on a daily basis, we wouldn't be stuck doing with this heavy cleaning day. On the other hand, it's not practical to get the ladder out every day...

As I was shivering from the late December cold, I kept pondering why was it that people in Japan typically do this once-a-year major cleaning during the winter? In the States, the tradition is "Spring Cleaning". After a dark, cold winter, when the first spring breeze comes, everyone opens up their windows to let in the air and sunlight -- and realizes how dusty their homes are. Hence a natural desire to clean.

That's what I was thinking of as I shivered while up on the ladder dusting our lobby's hard-to-reach places.





Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *