noun
New Year's ground-breaking ceremony with a hoe
A traditional Japanese New Year's ritual where a hoe is used to break ground in a field lying in a lucky direction, similar to 鍬入れ. The term is specific to this ceremony and not used in everyday contexts.
See also: 鍬入れ
農家では、鍬初めの儀式を新年に行うところもある。
In some farming households, the 鍬初め ceremony is performed at the New Year.