kadomatsu

The dance we have been learning is called kadomatsu.

Geisha, A Life Mineko Iwasaki with Rande Brown 2002

The dance we have been learning is called kadomatsu.

Geisha, A Life Mineko Iwasaki with Rande Brown 2002

According to my husband, the kadomatsu is set out like a welcoming banner, to beckon toshigami -- the "year's god"; although who this god is exactly seems to be somewhat unclear) -- into the home.

Archive 2005-01-01 2005

A kadomatsu is a decoration made out of pine branches that we display in our homes as part of the New Year celebration.

Geisha, A Life Mineko Iwasaki with Rande Brown 2002

A kadomatsu is a decoration made out of pine branches that we display in our homes as part of the New Year celebration.

Geisha, A Life Mineko Iwasaki with Rande Brown 2002

In Japan, as the new year approaches, the front of many homes will be ornamented with a pair of kadomatsu.

Archive 2005-01-01 2005

For more information on kadomatsu and what the different components (pine, bamboo, plum, etc.) represent: check out this link.

Archive 2005-01-01 2005

The plum-tree -- of whose emblematic meaning I said something in a former paper about Japanese gardens -- is not invariably used, however; sometimes sakaki, the sacred plant of Shinto, is substituted for it; and sometimes only pine and bamboo form the kadomatsu.

Glimpses of Unfamiliar Japan Second Series Lafcadio Hearn 1877

And before every gate or doorway a kadomatsu ( 'gate pine-tree') has been erected.

Glimpses of Unfamiliar Japan Second Series Lafcadio Hearn 1877

The meaning is that each kadomatsu is a milestone on the journey to the

Glimpses of Unfamiliar Japan Second Series Lafcadio Hearn 1877