First Soup - haiku and tanka - January 29, 2015

Zooni (picture taken from a Carpe Diem Haiku Kai)

waga io ya ganjitsu mo kuru zooni uri

to my hut too

New Year's arrives...

the zooni vendor

© Issa (1817)

Another interesting custom from Japan for the fifth season ... zooni or a soup made from specially drawn water from a particular well on the first day of the year. Seems that the water for this soup is drawn usually my the so called "zooni man" or a man chosen to draw the water either because he was born in the same animal symbol of the upcoming year or lacking that the "man of the house" fetches the water (which is called wakamizu - first water or "young water" and of course is reputed to bring youth to the old and good fortune) ... women were encouraged to stay away from the well, except in certain areas of the Island of Shikoku where "the woman of the house" draws the water.  This is the last hot food eaten before the fourth of January so that the women of the house and the hearth deities a little holiday to rest up for the coming year.

I can't think of any sort of Italian custom that quite coincides with this interesting custom nor American custom either, so I'll just play it by ear!

Christmas Day feast
the table groans with food
St. Stephen's feast
eating cold roast and pies
Mom rests on boxing day

New Year's Day
eating lentil soup for wealth
before midnight

first cup of coffee
made by the man of the house
New Year's morning

© G.s.k. ‘15