新にい嘗なめ

also: しんじょう · しんしょう · にいなえ · にわない

Meanings

imperial harvest ritual; offering of new rice to deities

A Shinto ceremony in which the Emperor offers newly harvested rice to the gods and partakes of it himself. Typically refers to the annual Niiname-sai (新嘗祭) held in November.

新にい嘗なめ祭さいは毎まい年とし11月がつ23日にちに行おこなわれる皇こう室しつの重じゅう要ような儀ぎ式しきです。
The Niiname-sai is an important imperial ceremony held annually on November 23rd.
天皇てんのうは新にい嘗なめ祭さいでその年としに収しゅう穫かくされた新しん穀こくを神かみ々がみに供そなえます。
At the Niiname-sai, the Emperor offers newly harvested grain to the deities.

Kanji

新new
嘗once, before, formerly

Related words

新にい嘗なめ祭さい
The full name of the ceremony; 新嘗 is often used as an abbreviation in historical or ritual contexts.
大だい嘗じょう祭さい
A larger-scale version of the harvest ritual performed once during an emperor's reign, shortly after enthronement.

Word family

新にい嘗なめ祭さい
Niiname-sai; Harvest Festival

Written forms

新嘗Usage85%
- にいなめ
  Standard kanji spelling for the imperial harvest ritual.
- しんじょう
  Alternate on'yomi reading, less common than にいなめ.
- しんしょう
  Alternate on'yomi reading, less common than にいなめ.
- にいなえ
  out-dated reading
  Obsolete kana usage; historical reading.
- にわない
  out-dated reading
  Obsolete kana usage; historical reading.
にいなめUsage15%
にいなえ
out-dated reading
にわない
out-dated reading
しんしょう
しんじょう

Etymology

Traditionally derived from 新饗（にいあえ）, “a feast of new grain,” referring to the offering and eating of the newly harvested crop.