Kotsugomori (Little New Year's Eve)
Seasonal EventsWhat Is Kotsugomori?
December 30 is "Kotsugomori," the day before New Year's Eve. Under the old lunar calendar it fell on the 29th day of the twelfth month. It is also used as a winter season word in haiku, naming the day just short of the year's end.
"Tsugomori" Comes from the Moon Hiding
The word misoka, meaning the last day of the month, is also read tsugomori because the old calendar followed the phases of the moon. As the month ended the moon disappeared -- tsukigomori, "the moon in hiding" -- and the word shifted to tsugomori.
- Reading: kotsugomori (never "komisoka" or "shomisoka")
- Meaning: the day before New Year's Eve; the 29th day of the twelfth lunar month
- Origin of "tsugomori": a shift from tsukigomori, the moon going into hiding
- Origin of "misoka": just as 30 years old is misoji, the 30th day of the month was read misoka
The Last Chance to Put Up New Year Decorations
New Year decorations avoid the 29th, read as "double suffering," and the 31st, dismissed as "one-night decoration." That leaves the 28th or the 30th. For anyone who missed the 28th, Kotsugomori is the last opportunity.
Tips for Marking This Day
- If you have not yet, put up the shimekazari and kagami-mochi today
- Check that no New Year cards are still unmailed
- List what is left for New Year's Eve and clear what you can early
- Look for haiku that use the word kotsugomori
A Second Marker, Overshadowed by the 31st
New Year's Eve takes all the attention, but the day before has a proper name of its own. Kotsugomori is for getting things done so tomorrow is not a scramble. December 30 finishes the preparations for crossing into the new year.