New Years Traditions in Japan

New year's holiday is the most celebrated holiday in Japan. It is one of the longest holiday seasons. There are many traditions surrounding it. Here are a few Japanese New Year's Traditions:

1. To start off with, there are the local illuminations, usually they have them in city centers and near the train stations.
2. People usually eat some type of soba dish on the last day of the year. 
3. People usually also send Nenga, which are like family Christmas cards to send to your friends and family updating about children's life and anything else in the family. 
4. On New Year's night some people go to the shrine at midnight. Some bigger shrines will have food stands and a fire burning to burn old things. They also ring the bell at midnight too, and people start praying by throwing their money and bowing and clapping. This can also be done on the few days after Jan. 1st. It is called Hatsumode. You can also collect your fortune at the shrine and see what the new year has in store for you. 
5. Eating o-sechi breakfast. For the first meal of the year, there are a few certain regional dishes and many different special foods to eat on the morning of January 1st. 
6. Mochi, sometimes mochi making is a New Years tradition, or just eating mochi in general seems to be a New Year's tradition. 
7. Some people bring in the new year by watching the first sunrise from the top of a mountain or tall hill. 

Image descriptions: 1. Making mochi the traditional way. 2.Fortune received at the shrine for 100 yen. 3. Illuminations around the station. 4. A simple vegetarian o-sechi breakfast. 5. A ceremony at the temple on January 2nd.