元旦
Meanings
1
New Year's Day; January 1st
The most common modern meaning: the first day of the year. Often used in greetings and seasonal expressions.
See also: 元日
On New Year's Day, we go to the first shrine visit of the year as a family.
On the morning of New Year's Day, we eat osechi cuisine.
2
Original, narrower meaning: specifically the morning of New Year's Day. Now largely replaced by the broader sense, but still understood in literary or traditional contexts.
In old waka poems, the fresh morning light of New Year's Day is celebrated.
Usage patterns
- 元旦を迎えるto welcome in New Year's Day
The whole family welcomed in New Year's Day together.
- 元旦に〈場所〉へ初詣に行くto make the first shrine visit of the year on New Year's Day
I went to the shrine for my first visit of the year on New Year's Day.
- 元旦の挨拶をするto exchange New Year's Day greetings
I exchanged New Year's greetings with my neighbors.
Expressions
- 一年の計は元旦にありthe whole year's plans should be made on New Year's Day