Shogatsu and Mom's Amazing Feast

Happy New Year! or Shogatsu Omedeto! In Japanese....
January first is a special day for Japanese people, and my Mom is the one in our family to keep up the tradition. The day before, Mom slaves over the stove, concocting amazing culinary feasts. All the cooking has to be done before midnight. At midnight there is a noodle dish that is eaten called "toshi-koshi soba" which means literally the year traversing noodle.....something you eat to cross over into the new year. When we were kids, we would watch Kohaku Uta gassen--a singing contest with all the Japanese stars of the year vying male against female. Red is for women and white is for men. very fun. It is still a nice custom that my sisters enjoy :-D but I seemingly have not kept up with.
In the morning of the first, it is customary fro the man to get up and do the cooking of the miso/mochi soup called Zoni. Dad is not one for tradition, so Mom is the one who makes it in our house....Supposedly men were to do it as a way of purifying the kitchen for the new year....hmmmm....
Anyhoo, The meal starts with new leaf green tea and zoni, and then the sky is the limit. Mom used to make Tai--a Sea Bream that is tied and broiled to look like it is jumping up. She also made chicken and salmon teriyaki and a host of other things. She still makes more than any family can eat for 5 days....sushi, sashimi, taro root, shrimp....so many dishes and they are all absolutely amazing. Many of the dishes have symbology, like beans. Beans are called "mame" and to be "mame-mame-shii" menas to be industrious. So to ensure you will be industrious throughout the year, you eat beans. Kurikinton(chestnut beans) for money, shrimp for long life, kombu for enjoyment/happiness adn kazunoko to be fruitful........all delicious.....It is one of Mom's treasures that we savor and think about all year.....Thank you Mom!!!