noun
New Year's shimenawa decoration
A traditional Japanese New Year decoration made from shimenawa rope, often hung on gates, entrances, or shrines to ward off evil spirits and welcome the New Year. Related to 注連縄 (shimenawa).
See also: 注連縄
玄関にしめ飾りを飾って新年を迎える。
We welcome the New Year by hanging a shimekazari decoration at the entrance.
神社のしめ飾りは毎年新しくする。
The shimekazari at the shrine is replaced every year.
Alternate kanji spelling; rarely encountered.
注連縄 is the sacred rope itself, while しめ飾り specifically refers to the decorative arrangement made with that rope for New Year's.
The word combines しめ (from 注連, referring to the sacred shimenawa rope) and 飾り (decoration). The exact origin of しめ is uncertain, but it is associated with marking sacred boundaries in Shinto.