New Year ( Oshogatsu )

To the Japanese people the New Year's Holidays are the most important of all annual events. Traditionally people visited shrines and temples to express their thanks to the gods and ancestral spirits, and prayed for happiness in the coming year. This is the first visit of the year to shrines and temples, which Japanese complete in the first few days of January.
During the New Year's holidays people will send and receive 'Nengajo'or greeting cards and children will receive 'Otoshidama' or gifts of money, from their parents and relatives.
There is also a tradition of New Year games, such as Hyakunin-Isshu, a card game and sugoroku, similar to backgammon.