Eating Soba Noodles: the Unique Japanese New Year Tradition
Having lived in Japan for a couple of years, I experienced a lot of unique Japanese traditions. Among them was to eat soba noodles on New Year’s Eve. As it gets closer to the year end, soba noodles start appearing more and more: on TV advertisement, at stations, and of course in supermarkets.
On a quiet 31st December, my mother-in-law prepared a bowl of noodles for each member of the family. It was a hearty warm bowl of soba noodles with prawn tempura, with the sound of the temple bell ringing. I found this tradition very unique and classic. And I kind of miss that sober and quiet way of celebrating the New Year in Japan.
The infographic above is inspired by a Medium article by Kaki Okumura, “Why Japanese People Eat a Bowl of Soba Noodles on New Year’s Eve.” The article summarizes this unique tradition of Japan.
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