Here in Japan, finally things are slowly coming to a head. It is time for Bonenkai 忘年会, the end-of-year parties . Bonenkai actually means something like “forget all the shit we've caused this year”, which implies that this kind of party is not going to be a dry one. Well, here in the Far East also
use lots of different kind of firewater to forget their worries.
The great era of enforced abstinence now seems to be completely over here too. Things have been a bit quiet on the Bonenkai front in recent years, so there may be some catching up to do and Friday is likely to be a another highlight for many people in my city.
The holy festival, on the other hand, will be rather quiet and, as people still need to work on these days, and it will be used for a final increase in productivity. This is before almost the entire country collectively devotes itself to the New Year festivities. These usually take place in a family setting, in which the beginning of the new year is likely to be a time of celebration. And as most people are already in their own homes, at least they save themselves the inconvenience of having to get home later on. Well, if you are already in your own house, you simply collapse or fall back. This is much more relaxed in a family setting than in public with colleagues and the boss in tow.
But well, every country and every culture has its own traditions, which they sometimes cultivate and maintain more and sometimes less. I won't be able to escape the whole scene completely and have even come to enjoy some of it. But fortunately, I could always retreat to my refuge if necessary and sit the whole thing out. However, I don't think this will be needed and I'm even looking forward to a little more hustle and bustle and a bit of a change. We've been good and well-behaved the whole time, so it's allowed, and probably even appropriate, to get a little wilder. Afterwards, we will tidy up and again so that it will almost seem as if nothing has happened.
This is exactly how everyone will approach the first working day of the new year. People will bow politely dozens of times and reassure each other that their help and support will never diminish. And then it will be time to get things going and the whole country will pick up where they left off at the end of the year.
Sometimes things can be quite easy....
