Green and White, Snow and Bright New Year

Nagano- A blessed family planned to have their winter vacation as a tribal mission at their in-laws located in Ogawa, Nagano, Japan. The Filipino-Japanese family was young or new still in their cross-cultural experiences with the Japanese culture and tribe.

In December 29, when their in-laws drove them to their family farm, the green plots of rice and vegetables were just in a harvest. But the greenery of the hills and mountains are still naturally enjoyed by the graying and browning leaves due to the season.

But the following day, it was a whole day of snowing until January 3 when they left back home. The grandparents of the five kids of the visiting family were surprised to say that it was the first time back in five years that it snows thay heavily again i their area. In fact, this author got a picture of their nice landscape where ornamentals were in-camped by tripods of wood to protect them from the expected snow on winter time. And in 24 hours, the scenery truly changed. From the greenery to the white of snow everywhere, on the streets, the backyard, the hills, the mountains and even the rooftops.

In January 1, 2008, it was a snowy new year that the family braved the -8 degree temperature to have their midnight prayer and 7 o'clock pledge ceremony in their small visitor's room.

When the grandparents invited their grand children to join them in their morning visit the three Shinto Temples, it became a very challenging God's day celebration in a different version, the prayer of wish and dedication of the Shintoists by visiting the temples nearby, dropping the offering in front of the temple, ringing the bells as if bussing hte door bell of heaven to listen to the wish and prayer to the visiting family, writing your name in the guestbook, and taking a kampai toast with the traditional osake made by the Shinto priests if not monks.

It was a different version that somehow could open one's mind on inter-religious, inter-cultural oneness if one also go and experience their way of verticalizing, dedicating a start of the year.

Yet, externally, it was the family's first snowy and white God's day celebration in that New Year 2008; a natural change of environment in 24 hours from green to white , a cultural change in celebrating God's day and New Year, from Judeo-Christian to Shinto way similar to the Buddhist wat as well.

In a nutshell, a change from 2007 to new year 2008. And what more shall one expect but changes!