Hey Y’all! Luis here, and today I will continue my world tour diaries! Today we will talk a little about my home land, Mexico city! Mexico is such an amazing country with beautiful history and amazing food! I went last year to visit family after not going to Mexico for over 6 years because of life in America, and it was even more beautiful than I remember! I got to visit Teotihuacan, which is what the Aztecs built…and it’s so crazy to me how they built such beautifully designed contraptions with math and the stars and astrology and they have stood the test of time over the last couple of centuries. 

みなさんあけましておめでとうございます！！

2020年です！もう令和2年です！

オリンピックの年ですね！！新年の抱負は決めましたか？

僕は決めました！授業内で発表したいと思います！

それでは今年もよろしくお願いします！

I went home to Seattle for the holidays, and my sister, father, and I had a wonderful time tromping through the snow on Mt. Rainier. It was chilly, but not as cold as we expected. The weather was so clear, not a cloud in sight, the sun bathing the summit in light. It was a great day for pictures– my favorite! Then on the drive home, fog moved into the valley, making for a very scenic drive.

As lovely as it was to be home, though, it was a little concerning for the future. While the snow was piled several feet high at Paradise (the highest point you can drive to on Mt. Rainier), the snow pack on the summit was much less than it really ought to be, so we worry a drought will plague the region this upcoming summer. Even though the glaciers are thinner than I’d like, I really can’t complain about the mountain’s beauty. Seeing Rainier in any condition makes me feel at home, and I really enjoyed spending time tromping around in the snow, taking pictures, and spending time with my family. It’s been a good vacation.

子供のころから誰しもが使い慣れている「大晦日」という言葉ですが、

あなたはこの言葉の意味を知っていますか？僕は知らなかったので調べてみようと思いました。

一年を締めくくる最後の「晦日」らしいです。

晦日？と疑問を持った人も少なくないのではないでしょうか。

晦とは月の満ち欠けが変化する様子を表す言葉みたいですね。

新月を１として月が隠れるのが３０、つまり晦日のことの様です。

なるほど！謎が解けました！

大晦日は新しい歳神様を迎え入れる準備をして、来訪を待つ日だったようです。

準備に欠かせないのが家の掃除ですね！！みなさん、大掃除は盛大に行えましたか？

掃除以外にも、除夜の鐘、年の湯、年越しそばなども伝統行事ですね。

それでは、また来年ハローズでみなさんのことをお待ちしております。良いお年をお迎えください。