Shimekazari (New Year Straw Decoration) Coloring Pages

A sign of a clean place to welcome gods Shimekazari (New Year Straw Decoration) is a decoration to let "Toshigami-sama" (gods who bring happiness for the new year) know that your home is "a clean place fit to welcome gods." It is a simplified version of the "Shimenawa" ropes at shrines, and it works like a shield to keep bad things from coming into your house.

Parts of the Shimekazari (New Year Straw Decoration) and What They Mean

Each decoration used on the Shimekazari (New Year Straw Decoration) has a special meaning to wish for your family's happiness.

• Shimekazari (New Year Straw Decoration): This shows that it is a pure and holy place to welcome the gods.

• Urabiro (Fern leaves): The back of the leaf is white. This stands for "pure heart" and "long life" until a husband and wife grow old and get white hair together.

• Yuzuriha (Daphniphyllum leaves): New leaves grow before the old ones fall off. This shows a wish for "your family to continue for generations."

• Bitter Orange: It is a good luck wish based on a fun wordplay, hoping your family prospers for generations!

How to display Shimekazari (New Year Straw Decoration) and how long to keep it up

• Shimekazari (New Year Straw Decoration) is a decoration for Japanese New Year. People hang it on their doors to welcome a happy god into their home. It is made of dried rice stalks. It often has lucky things like oranges and fans attached to it! Shimekazari (New Year Straw Decoration) Coloring Pages Here are coloring pages of Shimekazari (New Year Straw Decoration)! Pick your favorite coloring page and color it in nicely! Easy This is a simple coloring page of Shimekazari (New Year Straw Decoration). It is easy to color! Medium This coloring page of Shimekazari (New Year Straw Decoration) has more parts to color. Give it a try! Hard This is a detailed coloring page of Shimekazari (New Year Straw Decoration). Take your time and color it carefully! Nurie Zukan Want to learn more about Shimekazari (New Year Straw Decoration)? Check out the fun facts about Shimekazari (New Year Straw Decoration)!

  Where to hang it: People usually put it above the front door or on a household altar.

• When to display it: Just like Kadomatsu, you put it up from late December until January 7th (or until January 15th in some areas).

• Days to avoid: December 29th (it sounds like "double trouble") and December 31st (putting it up for just one night) are thought to bring bad luck, so it is best to put it up by the 28th.

Here are some tips to make your Shimekazari (New Year Straw Decoration) look festive and grand!

Show the texture of the straw rope

• Yellow base: Try color the straw rope parts with light yellow or beige.

• Add shadows: Add shadows with a slightly darker brown in the twisted parts of the rope. This makes it look 3D and real!

Color the front and back of the leaves differently

• Green on front: Color the front of the leaves with bright green or dark green.

• White on back: You can leave the back of the fern leaves white. Or add a shadow with very light gray. This shows off their special shape!

Bright orange for the bitter orange

• Color blend: Color the orange in the middle with a deep orange. Then blend a little yellow on the top part. It will look fresh and juicy!

Add fancy fan and paper cord details

• Red, white, and gold: Use red, white, and gold (or yellow) for the paper cords and fan. It will look super festive for the New Year right away!

This is a sacred place!

The Shimekazari (New Year Straw Decoration) acts like a barrier to block bad things from coming into your home. It is also a signal to tell the gods, "This is a clean and sacred place with no trash or dirt."

It is "Daidai," not a "Mandarin Orange"!

The orange fruit in the middle looks like a mandarin orange, but it is actually a fruit called "Daidai." Since the fruit stays on the tree for a long time without falling, it carries a lucky wish for "your family to thrive for generations (daidai)."

Are there days you should not put it up?

People say you should not put it up on December 29th because the numbers sound like "double trouble." Also, avoid December 31st, New Year's Eve. Putting it up on this day is called "One-Night Decoration" and is rude to the gods. It is best to put it up by the 28th!

Why the back of the leaf is white

The fern leaf used in the decoration is a type called "Urajiro." Just like its name says, the back of the leaf is white. This carries the meaning of "having a pure heart with no secrets" and a wish for you to live a long life until your hair turns white!