5th January – 睦月

年賀状　(Nenga-jou)

New Years Greeting Card- thanking for the previous years kindness and relationship and cerebrating for the new year.

Nowadays people send 年賀状(Nengajou) to people who are friends, relatives and wants to keep the relationships. However, in the older time it was sent for people who they cannot see them on New Years time (there was not easy to travel to see people if they live far). 
On most of the new year greeting card, there are a theme of one animal each year. This have a relation with Chinese Zodiac and it circulate in 12years – the animals are;

十二支　juunishi (Chinese Zodiac)

子ねRat 　　

丑うしOx 　　

寅とらTiger 　　

卯うRabbit 　　

辰たつDragon　 　

巳みSnake 　　

午うまHorse 　　

未ひつじSheep 　　

申さるMonkey 　　

酉とりRooster 　　

戌いぬDog 　　

亥いBoar

Those animals have been used for direction and it explains the year as well. 
The order for the Chinese Zodiac animals has a stories, one is;

Once upon a time, the god held a animal race on 1st January, and allow 12 first arrivers to become a boss of each year.

Ox was coming the first but the rats on the top of the cows slipped into the goal tape before the cow! So the first goal was Rat followed by Ox. The ox blamed rat and said Moo Moo (Japanese says Moo when they get flustrated), this is how the ox make sounds.

The dog and monkey came to goal but they were fighting – the origin of the proverb 犬猿の仲 (Ken En No Naka) – means really bad relationship.

The 13th arriver was flog (Kaeru), flog was disappointed and said I am going back home (もう帰る mou kaeru).

Cat was told by the rat that the race was going to be the another day, that’s why cat could not be in jyuunishi. After noticing rat lied, cat came to the place where god and all the first 12 animals cerebrate and chase rat around. This habbit keeps continuing just like Tom & Jerry!

This year 2020 is the Rat year, so what is your year animal?