Usually, I’m at home in America for Christmas and use one of our many, many stockings for the season. However, since I’m in Japan this year, I didn’t have access to those particular family heirlooms. So, I decided to make one myself!

I’ve never made a stocking myself before. For all of my previous stockings, my mother did all of the actual labor to make them. She has access to a wide range of fabrics and accessories, in addition to many more years of sewing skills, so her stockings are pretty amazing. The one I’m making definitely pales in comparison, but it a labor of love, so I appreciate it regardless of its lower quality.

To give it some variety, I used a bunch of different plaid fabrics. It could do with some additional decoration – embroidery or beading, perhaps a future project – but overall, I like the design. I’m kind of terrible at documenting my projects, so here’s a picture of a WIP before I added the lining or sewed down the top piece. It feels rustic ^^ I like it.

みなさん、明けましておめでとうございます。

昨年中は大変お世話になりました。

皆様にとって今年が良い一年になることを心より願っております。

みなさん

あけましておめでとうございます

本年もよろしくお願いいたします

今年は丑年

英語では、ox year　といいます。

みんなの知っているcowは乳牛をさすため、ox 雄牛を使うようですね。

続いて・・・

寅　Tiger

卯　Rabbit

辰　Dragon

巳　Serpent

午    Horse

未    Sheep

申　Monkey

酉　Rooster

戌   Dog

亥    Boar

子　 Rat

となります。

自分の干支を知っておくといいかもしれませんね。

毎年日本では、干支の置物を玄関などに飾ることが多いです。

私も一つ持っているのですが、最近赤べこの可愛さに触れ、どうしても

ほしくなってしまいました。

注文したのが１２月中旬で、まだ届きませんが、あと１週間ぐらいで

我が家に来てくれる予定です。

楽しみです。

みんなのうちの丑の置物は、どんなものか

チェックしてみてね！

Shirakawago has been among the must-visits in Japan for foreign tourists over decades. The small village is located in the deep mountainous area with a number of traditional Japanese houses and buildings in great condition. The peaceful landscape takes you back to the old Japan, with the green rice field in summer and a world of white in winter. 

Every year, we celebrate the new year by going to my wife’s grandmother’s house.  The whole family gathers and we have a lot of fun.  We have a good time talking and enjoy eating osechi together.  This year is different due to the pandemic, so we spent the new year at home.  However, no celebration is complete without osechi, so this year my wife decided to make her own.  The best part of making your own osechi is choosing what to include.  I like a lot of different parts of osechi, but there often tends to be a lot of food that I don’t like.  The highlight of this year’s osechi was my wife’s roast beef, which is so delicious.  Even though we had to change up how we celebrated the new year, we still had a great time and could eat some great food.