My first Nengajou

This year I received my first Nengajou (年賀状), a New Year's Card from Japan. What a lovely surprise! These traditional postcards serve a similar purpose to Christmas cards*, to send news and good wishes to long distance friends and family.

Apparently in Japan, the postal service guarantees the arrival of Nengajou on 1 January, if sent within the correct timeframe. (Try that one out with the UK postal service, lol!) Though cards must be clearly marked '年賀' (as you can see under the stamps on mine) or use special New Year stamps to qualify.

Like Christmas cards, Nengajou can be bought, printed, or home made. Within Japan, it seems that lottery numbers on Nengajou are also popular. A special mid-January lottery is run by the ministry of post and telecomms, with household goods as prizes. 

The Japanese have used the Gregorian calendar's New Year's Day (1 January) since 1873. Prior to this, New Year accorded with the traditional calendar used today by the Chinese, Koreans and Vietnamese (and still used in Okinawa). Despite the above, today's Nengajou in Japan often depict the incoming animal of the Chinese zodiac.

(I have deliberately blurred details for privacy!)

* (Christmas is celebrated, but generally not a huge deal in Asia, unlike in the West)