- Kakizome
"Kakizome" (書き初め, literally "first writing") is a Japanese term for the first calligraphy written at the beginning of a year, traditionally on January 2. Other terms include 吉書("kissho"), 試筆("shihatsu")and 初硯("hatsusuzuri").
Traditionally, "kakizome" was performed using ink rubbed with the first water drawn from the well on New Year's Day. Seated facing a favourable direction, people would write Chinese poetry containing auspicious words and phrases such as long life, spring, or perennial youth. These poems were then often burned.
In modern times, people often write out auspicious
kanji rather than poems. Children are assigned "kakizome" as their winter holiday homework.Each year on January 5, several thousand calligraphers gather at theNihon Budokan inTokyo 'sChiyoda -ku for a "kakizome" event that is widely covered by media.The kakizome paper is usually burned on 14 January in the Sagicho festival. If the burning paper flys high, it is said that the person will be able to write a more fair hand.
External links
[http://www.e-village.jp/earth-c/html/0001jan/html/000028.html some examples of children's "kakizome"]
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