Okoto-osame: Closing the Year's Work
Seasonal EventsWhat Is Okoto-osame?
December 8th is "Okoto-osame," the day for putting away the year's farm work and other routine tasks. It pairs with "Okoto-hajime" on February 8th, and in some regions it is called "Okoto-jimai." Together, February 8th and December 8th are known as "Koto-yoka," the eighth days of beginnings and endings.
A Day That Closes the Farming Year
Work in the fields is divided by the seasons. Koto-yoka gave those turning points the shape of an observance.
- Meaning: celebrating the end of the year's farm work, putting tools away, and finishing up
- Its pair: Okoto-hajime, which starts the farming year, falls on February 8th
- Food: people ate "okoto-jiru," a soup with taro, konjac, carrot and adzuki beans
- Other names: "Koto-osame" and "Okoto-jimai," depending on the region
The Names Swap Depending on What "Koto" Means
Curiously, in the Edo period and in parts of the Kanto region, December 8th was the "beginning" -- the start of New Year preparations -- and February 8th was the "ending," when New Year observances were finished. Whether "koto" refers to farm work or to New Year rites decides which day is the beginning and which is the end. That is why the same date can carry opposite names.
Tips for Marking This Day
- Make a warm soup with root vegetables and adzuki beans
- Check over the tools and stationery you have finished with, and put them away
- Write down what is still unfinished this year and map out the rest of December
- Look into whether Koto-yoka customs survive in your own region
The Year Ends by Tidying Up
Okoto-osame turns the act of finishing itself into an observance. December 8th is a day to close out one task at hand and start moving toward the end of the year.