Otoshi Dama (New Year's gifts) are presents of money or goods given mainly to children or those younger or junior to oneself to celebrate the New Year.
There are a few theories about the origin of the name Otoshi Dama; one is that it comes from the phrase toshi no tamamono which means a gift or boon for the year, or it could come from the phrase for giving an offering to the Gods of the New Year whose spirits (or tamashi) were said to dwell in round rice dumplings (mochi tama).
Nowadays, kids are given Otoshi Dama in the form of money which is inserted in special small envelopes otoshi dama bukuro. Children in Japan look forward to receiving otoshi dama every year. And when they get their New Year's gift money, they save it or they get to buy things that some of things that they have always been wanting to buy with their.
When I was a kid I really enjoyed receiving Otoshi Dama . Now I'm the one always giving it out ….
今週の語彙 This week's vocabulary
■贈おくる to give, award, afford ,provide ((a person with a thing)), assign ■目下めした one's inferior(s) [subordinate(s)], one's junior(s) ■由来ゆらい the origin, the history ■魂たましい a soul, spirit ■宿やどる dwell, live ■説せつ a theory ,an opinion a rumor ■年神様としがみさま Gods of the New Year ■鏡餅かがみもち dumplings offered as New Year ■ 与あたえた to give (esp. to someone of lower status)
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