fukuwarai; New Year's face-making game
A traditional Japanese New Year's game where a blindfolded player places paper cutouts of eyes, nose, mouth, etc. onto a blank face outline, often resulting in a comical face.
We played fukuwarai as a family during the New Year holidays.
When a funny face was made in fukuwarai, everyone burst out laughing.
The name 福笑い literally means 'lucky laugh', reflecting the game's association with New Year's fun and good fortune. The exact origin is uncertain, but it became popular as a simple, joyful pastime during the New Year season.