Usage patterns 〈 場ば 所しょ 〉 で 正しょう 月がつ を 過す ごす to spend the New Year (holiday) at/in a place
This year I spent New Year's at my parents' house.
正しょう 月がつ を 迎むか える to see in / greet the New Year
The whole family welcomed in the New Year together.
正月しょうがつ に 〈 場所ばしょ〉 〉 へ 初詣はつもうで に 行い く to make a New Year's shrine visit somewhere
I went to visit the nearby shrine for the New Year.
正しょう 月がつ 休やす みを 取と る to take New Year's holidays (from work)
Many companies take about a week off for the New Year holidays.
Expressions 盆ぼん と 正しょう 月がつ the Bon Festival and New Year · two great things at once; double delight Kanji 正 correct, justice, righteous Related words· 8 元日 refers specifically to January 1st itself, while 正月 covers the broader New Year holiday period including the following days.
三が日 names just the first three days (Jan 1–3) that make up the core of the 正月 holiday period.
正月 refers specifically to the New Year's holiday period in early January, while 新年 is the broader idea of 'the new year' as a time concept.
正月 refers to the whole New Year holiday period (often the first few days of January), whereas 元旦 refers specifically to January 1st itself.
Show 4 more Show fewer 正月 refers concretely to the New Year's holiday period and its customs, whereas 新春 is a broader, poetic term for the new year season.
正月 refers to the New Year holiday period with its customs and festivities, whereas 年頭 is the more abstract, formal notion of the year's start.
正月 is the common, everyday word for the New Year holiday period, while 年始 is a more formal term often used in business contexts.
正月 refers to the New Year holiday period itself with its customs and festivities, while 年明け simply marks the point when the new year begins.
Don't confuse with 正月 usually means the modern solar-calendar New Year around January 1, while 旧正月 specifically refers to the New Year of the old lunar calendar, so learners must not drop the 旧 when lunar New Year is meant.
Word family· 10 New Year (esp. first three days) · first month of the year; January
first seven days of the year
Women's New Year (15th day of the New Year)
staying home and relaxing during the New Year holiday; lazing around at home over New Year's
January (new calendar); New Year's period (Gregorian)
Show 5 more Show fewer Lunar New Year; Chinese New Year
New Year's weight gain
New Year's film; film shown during the New Year period
20th day of the New Year; end of New Year celebrations
ink-painting New Year event
Etymology From 正 (しょう , 'first' or 'correct') + 月 (がつ , 'month'), referring to the first month of the year. The reading しょうがつ is a regular on'yomi compound.
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