LYCOS RETRIEVER 
Japanese New Year: New Year's Eve
built 655 days ago
To prepare for "oshogatsu," everybody gets busy doing a big year-end cleaning (oosouji), setting New Year's decorations (kadomatsu or shimekazari) and preparing New Year's dishes (osechi-ryori). On New Year's Eve (oomisoka), it is customary to eat "toshikoshi-soba" and wait up to hear the watch-night bell (joya no kane) rung at the temples. It starts ringing at just before midnight on New Year's Eve and continues into the early hours of New Year's Day, 108 times in all. According to Buddhism, a human being has 108 troublesome desires. The ringing of the bells is to expel these troublesome desires.
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On New Year's eve, toshikoshi soba (buckwheat noodles), symbolizing longevity, are served. A more recent custom is watching the music show "kohaku uta gassen", a highly popular television program featuring many of Japan's most famous J-pop and enka singers in spectacular performances.
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This New Year's Eve, like so many before, Lee Nakamura will be pulling an all-nighter. But his evening plans won't involve standing in a crowd counting down to a balloon drop in a grand hotel.
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Celebrtions begin on new year's eve when many people visit Buddhist temples to hear the temple bells rung 108 times at midnight. This is to announce the passing of the old year and the coming of the new.
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Some day, some how, someone divined that certain images occuring in a dream on New Year's eve foretell good luck for the coming year. Most auspicious: Mt. Fuji—next, a hawk—third, an eggplant!
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New Year's Eve