Omamori and omikuji - Japanese tradition of New Year's Day

As I wrote before, I visited a local shrine for hatsumoude (the Japanese custom of first visit shrine in new year).

We usually buy 'omamori' and 'omikuji' during hatsumoude. Of course I did as well. In the left side of the picture above is my omamori ( the yellow cloth pouch ). The right side is my omikuji (the scroll of paper w/ Japanese characters written on it).

An omamori is a Japanese amulet. The word comes from 'mamori' which means 'protection'. People believe that omamori will protect them from bad things and that each type has its own special effect.

There are several kinds of omamori. An omamori gives you good health and another one gives you a good result in studying. People usually put in their bags so they can carry it anywhere because you never predict whenever we encounter misfortune.

An omikuji's fortune is usually random and gives you advice on how to live happier in the new year. Do you want to know what advice the omikuji gives you? OK, I'll show you some of my omikuji. It is written in old style of Japanese.

運勢 大吉

運勢 (unsei) means 'one's fortune in new year' and 大吉 (dai-kichi) means 'the greatest blessing'. I must be very lucky this year.

恋愛 自我を抑えれば大吉

恋愛 (rennai) means "love" or "romance". Omikuji tells me that I will find good in love if I loose my ego. Omikuji usually has Japanese old-fashioned ideas about love. It never tells 'be passionate about love!'. :)

FYI:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Omamori
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Omikuji