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大みそかのお祭り
新しい年が明けました。雅子さんは毎年冬休みはニュージャージー州の実家に帰って家族と過ごしていましたが、今回は間近に迫ったテストのためボストンに残りました。一人で過ごすお正月は初めてですが、ボストンの大みそかのお祭りを新たに発見しました。
First Night
By MASAKO YAMADA
Although I've been living in the Boston area for almost five years, there are many things about the city that still surprise me. I'd like to think of myself as a near native Bostonian by now, but time and time again, I'm reminded that I haven't quite reached that point yet. And I am forced to admit that I'm still an eager guest in the city that has become my adopted home.
I felt this especially clearly on New Year's Eve. I'd heard the words "First Night" on the radio and in conversations for several days before New Year's Eve, but I didn't really know what people were talking about. It turns out that on New Year's Eve, there is a huge annual festival in downtown Boston called First Night.
This festival is about 20 years old now. I hear that it originally started as an alternative to the alcohol-centered revelry that is so common at the end of the year. It is a public event that caters to families. That means that many of the activities are designed so that children can take part in the fun.
Indeed, there are many events planned during the afternoon in order to include children who have early bedtimes. There are many ice sculptures on display in Boston Common, the central park downtown. Hynes Convention Center has tons of exhibits, shows and dance performances. Face-painters paint bright designs on the cheeks of little kids. There's even a parade downtown in which many children's groups participate ― handmade floats and sculptures in tow.
Of course, there are events planned for the segment of the population that can stay awake until the clock strikes midnight, too. Boston does not have the equivalent of the lighted ball that descends in Times Square in New York City, but it does have a laser light and fireworks display. All in all, it's a well-rounded, fun-filled event.
In reality, I experienced my first First Night on my sofa. I was home, studying, and I turned on the television to participate in the festivities. I hardly ever watch TV, but it seemed improper not to acknowledge the passing of the year in some way, so I put my books down for a while.
Indeed, the reason I'd never heard about First Night before is because I've always gone back to my hometown in New Jersey for the holidays. This is the first winter vacation that I've spent in Boston. I decided to stay here in order to study for my upcoming general exams. I felt this was necessary, but I didn't want to be by myself, so right after midnight, I talked with my youngest brother on the phone. What started out as a general "Happy New Year" conversation stretched out for almost three hours. I've always considered him my baby brother, but on this New Year's Day, I realized for the first time that he's grown up. This was the biggest thrill I got that day.
It's true that New Year's Day was not a particularly earth-shattering event for me this year, but it doesn't seem to be as big of a deal for Americans as it is for Japanese, anyway. The New York Times had a large article featuring the Japanese way of celebrating New Year's Day and it mentioned how much more ritualized an event it is for the Japanese (it also mentioned that Christmas is an exceedingly light holiday in Japan).
From watching "Kohaku" to eating rice cakes to clanging bells at temples, every action taken on New Year's Day seems to be a part of a larger tradition in Japan. New Year's Eve is a great day for having fun with friends and family around here, but it can be said that Thanksgiving or Christmas (or whatever winter holiday) is weightier in spirit. Indeed, I noticed that our local 24-hour supermarket was closed on both Thanksgiving and Christmas, but it was open, bright and early, on New Year's Day.
Although I've been living in the Boston area for almost five years, there are many things about the city that still surprise me. I'd like to think of myself as a near native Bostonian by now, but time and time again, I'm reminded that I haven't quite reached that point yet. And I am forced to admit that I'm still an eager guest in the city that has become my adopted home.
I felt this especially clearly on New Year's Eve. I'd heard the words "First Night" on the radio and in conversations for several days before New Year's Eve, but I didn't really know what people were talking about. It turns out that on New Year's Eve, there is a huge annual festival in downtown Boston called First Night.
This festival is about 20 years old now. I hear that it originally started as an alternative to the alcohol-centered revelry that is so common at the end of the year. It is a public event that caters to families. That means that many of the activities are designed so that children can take part in the fun.
Indeed, there are many events planned during the afternoon in order to include children who have early bedtimes. There are many ice sculptures on display in Boston Common, the central park downtown. Hynes Convention Center has tons of exhibits, shows and dance performances. Face-painters paint bright designs on the cheeks of little kids. There's even a parade downtown in which many children's groups participate ― handmade floats and sculptures in tow.
Of course, there are events planned for the segment of the population that can stay awake until the clock strikes midnight, too. Boston does not have the equivalent of the lighted ball that descends in Times Square in New York City, but it does have a laser light and fireworks display. All in all, it's a well-rounded, fun-filled event.
In reality, I experienced my first First Night on my sofa. I was home, studying, and I turned on the television to participate in the festivities. I hardly ever watch TV, but it seemed improper not to acknowledge the passing of the year in some way, so I put my books down for a while.
Indeed, the reason I'd never heard about First Night before is because I've always gone back to my hometown in New Jersey for the holidays. This is the first winter vacation that I've spent in Boston. I decided to stay here in order to study for my upcoming general exams. I felt this was necessary, but I didn't want to be by myself, so right after midnight, I talked with my youngest brother on the phone. What started out as a general "Happy New Year" conversation stretched out for almost three hours. I've always considered him my baby brother, but on this New Year's Day, I realized for the first time that he's grown up. This was the biggest thrill I got that day.
It's true that New Year's Day was not a particularly earth-shattering event for me this year, but it doesn't seem to be as big of a deal for Americans as it is for Japanese, anyway. The New York Times had a large article featuring the Japanese way of celebrating New Year's Day and it mentioned how much more ritualized an event it is for the Japanese (it also mentioned that Christmas is an exceedingly light holiday in Japan).
From watching "Kohaku" to eating rice cakes to clanging bells at temples, every action taken on New Year's Day seems to be a part of a larger tradition in Japan. New Year's Eve is a great day for having fun with friends and family around here, but it can be said that Thanksgiving or Christmas (or whatever winter holiday) is weightier in spirit. Indeed, I noticed that our local 24-hour supermarket was closed on both Thanksgiving and Christmas, but it was open, bright and early, on New Year's Day.
Shukan ST: Jan. 16, 1998
(C) All rights reserved
- near native
- 生粋に近い
- Bostonian
- ボストン住民
- time and time again
- しばしば
- (am)reminded that 〜
- 〜 ということを思い知る
- haven't quite reached that point yet
- まだ足元にも及ばない
- admit
- 認める
- eager guest
- 熱心な滞在客
- adopted home
- 第二のふるさと
- especially
- 特に
- New Year's Eve
- 大みそか
- turns out that 〜
- 〜 であることが判明する
- huge
- 大きな
- annual
- 恒例の
- originally
- もともとは
- alternative to 〜
- 〜 の代わりのもの
- alcohol-centered revelry
- お酒が中心のお祭り騒ぎ
- public event
- みんなのお祭り
- caters to 〜
- 〜 を楽しませる
- take part in 〜
- 〜 に参加する
- Indeed
- 確かに
- bedtimes
- 就寝時間
- ice sculptures
- 氷の彫刻
- Boston Common
- アメリカ最古の公園
- Convention Center
- 会議場
- tons of 〜
- たくさんの 〜
- exhibits
- 展示物
- Face-painters
- 顔に絵を描いてくれる人
- bright
- 派手な
- cheeks
- 頬
- participate
- 参加する
- floats
- パレードの山車
- in tow
- 綱で引かれている
- segment of the population
- 一部の人
- stay awake
- 起きている
- clock strikes midnight
- 時計が深夜12時を打つ
- equivalent of 〜
- 〜 に相当するもの
- lighted ball that descends in Times Square in New York City
- ニューヨークのタイムズスクエアでは大晦日から元旦にかけてビルの屋上のポールに備え付けられたミラーボールがカウントダウンとともに下がる
- laser light
- レーザー光線
- fireworks
- 花火
- All in all
- 概して
- well-rounded
- 多彩で充実した
- fun-filled
- お楽しみいっぱいの
- In reality
- 現実には
- hardly ever 〜
- ほとんど 〜 ない
- seemed improper not to acknowledge the passing of the year in some way
- 年が過ぎていくのを何らかの形で認めないのは不謹慎に思えた
- put my books down
- 勉強の手を休めた
- upcoming general exams
- 間近に迫った総合テスト
- be by myself
- ひとりぼっちでいる
- What started out as 〜
- 〜 として始まったもの
- general
- 一般的な
- stretched out for 〜
- 〜 にまで延びた
- thrill
- ワクワク
- particularly
- 特に
- earth-shattering
- きわめて重大な
- doesn't seem to be as big of a deal for 〜 as 〜
- 〜 ほど 〜 にとって重要ではなさそうだ
- article
- 記事
- featuring 〜
- 〜 を特集した
- celebrating
- 祝う
- ritualized
- 儀式化された
- exceedingly
- 非常に
- rice cakes
- 餅
- clanging bells at shrines
- 寺の除夜の鐘をつくこと
- Thanksgiving
- 感謝祭
- is weightier in spirit
- 精神面でより重みがある
- local
- 地元の
- bright and early
- 早々と