New Year's Eve Coloring Pages

The Last Day of the Year

New Year's Eve is the last day of the year, December 31st.
The Japanese word for the end of the month used to mean "the 30th day."
Because it is the biggest and final end of the month in the whole year, it is called New Year's Eve.
On the night of New Year's Eve, families gather together and wait for the new year to arrive.

Let's Eat Toshikoshi Soba

The first picture shows Toshikoshi Soba, the noodles we eat on New Year's Eve.
On top of the bowl of soba, there are two big shrimp tempura pieces, along with fish cakes and green onions.
Soba noodles are thin and long, so eating them carries a wish for a long life.
Also, because soba noodles break easily, people say eating them helps to cut away the year's hard times.

Gong... Hear the Joya no Kane Ring

On the night of New Year's Eve, temples ring the Joya no Kane bell.
"Joya" means the night of New Year's Eve.
In the second coloring page, a grandfather and a boy pull a rope together to ring a huge hanging bell.
The thick wooden log hanging sideways that hits the bell is called a Shumoku.
Near them, a mom and a girl are watching warmly.

A Long Line of People Waiting to Ring the Bell

The third picture shows the temple grounds on the night of New Year's Eve.
In the middle at the back, you can see the main temple hall decorated with lanterns.
At the bell tower on the right, a man is ringing the bell. Families, grandpas, and grandmas are standing in a long line heading toward it.
On the left, some people are warming up by a bonfire.
You can see a crescent moon and stars in the sky, and snow piled on the tree branches and roofs.

How to Spend the Night of New Year's Eve

On the night of New Year's Eve, families eat meals together, watch TV, and wait for the year to change.
Long ago, there was a story that people should stay awake all through New Year's Eve night to welcome the Toshigami god.
When midnight passes, everyone says "Happy New Year!" to greet the new year.
Once the new year starts, many people go out for Hatsumode, the first temple visit of the year.
By daytime on New Year's Eve, you should finish setting up New Year decorations like Kadomatsu and Kagamimochi.
Setting them up right on New Year's Eve is called "One-Night Decoration," and it is said to bring bad luck.

Tempura is golden yellow

On the 1st coloring page, color the shrimp tempura batter yellow and ochre, and the tail red.
The soba noodles look tasty in light brown or gray, the broth in dark brown, and the green onions in yellow-green.
If you color the edge of the fish cake pink, it will look cute!

The night sky in dark colors

The 2nd and 3rd coloring pages are night scenes.
Color the sky navy blue or purple, and make the stars and moon yellow to give it a nice night feel.
Leave the fallen snow uncolored and white.

Warm lights

If you color the lanterns and bonfire orange or red, they will look warm even on a cold night.
We recommend dark green or dark brown for the temple bell.
Try using bright colors for each person's coat and scarf in line.

Add patterns to the soba bowl

On the 1st coloring page, make the outside of the bowl red or navy blue, and the inside black or white so it looks like a real bowl.
Color the chopsticks brown, and pick your favorite color for the chopstick rest.
Leave the steam white, or just trace the lines with light blue.

Temple buildings in calm colors

We recommend dark brown or vermilion for the pillars of the main hall and bell tower, and dark gray for the roof tiles.
Make the stone lanterns and stone walls light gray to help the colors of people's coats stand out.
Leave the snow on the roof white so it stands out clearly against the night sky!

Ringing the Bell 108 Times

The New Year's Eve bell is usually rung 108 times.
People say that humans have 108 "earthly desires" that cause worries and doubts. A well-known idea is that ringing the bell clears them away one by one.
Some temples ring it 107 times during New Year's Eve, and save the very last ring for after the new year starts.

Some Temples Let Anyone Ring the Bell

At some temples, visitors are allowed to take turns ringing the bell.
Just like in the third picture, you line up on a cold night and wait for your turn.

How to Eat Toshikoshi Soba

It is said to be best to finish eating your Toshikoshi Soba before the new year begins.
People sometimes say it is bad luck if you leave any food unfinished.

Toshikoshi Soba Started in the Edo Period

The habit of eating Toshikoshi Soba is said to have spread during the Edo period.
Craftspeople who worked with gold and silver used soba dough balls to collect scattered gold dust. Because of this, some believe it became a lucky sign that attracts money.
In some regions, people eat udon noodles or rice cakes instead of Toshikoshi Soba.