Nengajo

     Nengajo are postcards sent as a greeting for the New Year. The Japanese send many nengajo every year. It is similar to Christmas cards in the West, though there is no religious significance in nengajo. The New Year holidays (oshougatsu) are very important to the Japanese. Nengajo are used to express gratitude, or maintain friendships on this special occasion.
     However if one of their relatives passed away this year, they don't send nengajo and send postcards saying "I don't send you nengajo for New Year's Day because my father, mother, , , .... passed away....and I'm (We are)in a mourning period of one year." When you receive such postcards from someone, you shouldn't send nengajo to them.
     Every December I receive a few postcards like that. But this December, I got 20 or more. I thought I must be getting older. Several parents of my friends, my acquaintances, and my friend have passed away this year. I send postcards expressing my sympathy in return. All at once I thought I have to be good to my parents who are healthy as of now.