defining moments 1.15 CD 648

defining moments             1.15

Carpe Diem-648-Little-New-Year

defining moments

celebrate payment

of debt, or honor an old

calendars' change

perhaps ones luck does change true

when on the thirteenth ides fall

purse full, empty

perhaps it depends on the

luck of Little New Year

©JP/dh

Koshogatsu - A Time of Celebration (a little history from our host)

New Year is the largest, and perhaps the oldest celebration in Japan. Having both religious and secular associations, it is much like Christmas in Canada. In A.D. 604, the lunar calendar used in China was adopted for use by the Japanese government. This calendar had both a lunar component which regulated civic events and a solar component which was used for agricultural purposes. The new moon marked the beginning of the official months but date discrepancies existed between official celebrations and folk celebrations. Using the lunar calendar the New Year was to begin at the second new moon after the winter solstice. This was the "Great New Year" or shogatsu. At the full moon two weeks later, there was another celebration called "Little New Year" or koshogatsu. Traditionally, these dates would occur sometime from the end of January to the middle of February. However, when the government adopted the Gregorian calendar, shogatsu became associated with the first day of January and koshogatsu fell on the 15th of January.

Also an additional note: Word Origin and History for ides n. =

(plural) early 14c., "middle day of a Roman month," from Old French Ides(12c.), from Latin idus (plural), a word perhaps of Etruscan origin. The 15 thof March, May, July, and October; the 13th of other months. "Debts and interest were often payable on the ides" [Lewis].