Japanese tradition 【Shime-nawa】

Shime-nawa (a sacred rope) indicates the sacred place where the gods have descended. It is believed that no impurity or evil spirits can enter the place where it is placed, and it also serves as a kind of protective wall and ward off evil spirits.

What is the meaning of the "shimenawa" at shrines ?

Shimenawa, a sacred rope displayed at shrines and home Shinto altars, has long been considered "sacred".

Meaning and origin of the sacred rope

New Year's Day is "an event to entertain the New Year's Deity who has come to this world. The place where we welcome and worship the gods must be prepared as a sacred place.

The sacred rope serves as a "boundary" between the realm of the gods and this world, preventing the entry of impure things.

The origin of the sacred rope is said to be the myth of Amaterasu Omikami (Amaterasu Omikami) written in the Kojiki (Records of Ancient Matters). In ancient times, when the gods took Amaterasu out of Iwato (the cave of the gods), they placed a sacred rope on Iwato to prevent her from entering the cave again.

Difference between Shime-Nawa and Shime-Kazari (Ornaments)

Although the name "shimekazari" sounds similar to "shimenawa," they are two different things. Shime-kazari is a New Year's decoration and is a derivative of shimenawa.

The shimenawa is decorated with lucky charms, such as a Urabaku leaf, which means "purity and innocence," and a Yoriba leaf, which means "may you be blessed with a child".

The main difference between the two is that the shimenawa is displayed at shrines "all year round" and the shime-kazari is displayed only during the New Year period. Shime-nawa is one of the Shinto ritual objects and is displayed at shrines and on the kamidana (Shinto altar). Shime-kazari are usually displayed at the entrance of a house.

There are various theories as to its meaning, but in general, it is decorated to welcome the New Year's gods and to show that the place is clean and pure.

From when to when do you decorate New Year's decorations such as sacred straw ropes and decorations?

You can start decorating "New Year's decorations" any time after December 13, which is considered "Shogatsu Jikkajime" in the Japanese calendar. In Japan, where Christmas culture is deeply rooted, many households begin decorating on or after December 25, and many people decorate on December 28 because "eight" has the meaning of "the last days of the year. Similarly, people tend to avoid decorating on December 29th, which is associated with "double trouble," and on December 31st, which is said to be bad luck because it is called "overnight decoration. The timing for putting away decorations differs from region to region, such as in the Kanto and Kansai regions, but in recent years, more and more households start putting them away around January 7. It seems to be becoming common practice to put away New Year's decorations after eating "Nanakusa-gayu" (rice gruel with seven herbs).

When disposing of your shimenawa, have them burned at Dondoyaki

When disposing of your sacred rope, have it burned at Dondoyaki. Dondoyaki is a burning ceremony held at shrines on New Year's Day.

It is held on January 15 (or on a Saturday or Sunday near the date if the day falls on a national holiday) in many parts of Japan.

Some shrines do not hold Dondon-yaki, so it is recommended to check the shrine's website in advance to find out whether or not it is held and the schedule. During the burning ceremony, let's send off the New Year's gods with gratitude.

If you forget to bring your shimenawa rope to the donton-yaki, some temples and shrines will dispose of it if it is a business day.

If you dispose of them as household garbage

Shime-nawa can be disposed of as basic burnable garbage, but inexpensive ones have a core made of non-burnable material.

There may be some noncombustible materials mixed in with the decorations of the shimenawa. It is easy to throw them away as they are decorated, but they need to be separated like regular garbage.

When disposing of them at home, it is good manners to wrap them in paper and purify them with sake or salt to express sincerity and gratitude to the New Year gods. Since these items are sacred, they should be disposed of in separate bags from other garbage.

Prepare a piece of white paper or newspaper large enough to wrap the shimedori and place the decoration in the center. Sprinkle salt on the left, right, and center, in that order, and then wrap it.