しめ飾かざり

し

め

か

ざ

り

Meanings

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).

Kanji

飾decorate, ornament, adorn
注pour, irrigate, shed (tears)
連take along, lead, join
七seven
五five
三three
標signpost, seal, mark

Don't confuse with

門かど松まつ
しめ飾り is a sacred Shinto rope decoration also displayed at New Year's, while 門松 is a pine-and-bamboo arrangement placed at the entrance to welcome ancestral spirits.

Written forms

しめ飾かざりUsage61%
Most common and easily understood spelling; uses kana for the first part to avoid rare kanji.
注連飾しめかざりUsage39%
Standard kanji spelling, but the characters 注連 are uncommon and may be difficult to read.
注連飾しめかざり
Abbreviated kanji form without okurigana; rarely used.
七五三飾しめかざり
Ateji spelling using the characters for 7-5-3; very uncommon.
標飾しめかざり
Alternate kanji spelling; rarely encountered.

Etymology

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.