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Question 282 of 283 · Festivals & Fairs of India
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'Shogatsu' is the New Year festival of:

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Answer: Option C — Japan

Detailed Solution

"Shogatsu" (or "Oshogatsu") is the Japanese New Year festival, the most important annual holiday in Japan.

About Shogatsu:

It is celebrated on 1 January, according to the Gregorian calendar. Japan switched from the lunar calendar to the Gregorian calendar in 1873, during the Meiji era.

Celebrations usually last from 1 to 3 January ("Sanganichi"), and many businesses close during this period.

Customs:

  • "Omisoka" (New Year's Eve, 31 December): people clean their homes ("osoji") to welcome the New Year, and eat "toshikoshi soba" (buckwheat noodles) for a long life.
  • "Joya no Kane": Buddhist temples ring their bells 108 times at midnight, to drive away the 108 worldly desires that cause suffering.
  • "Hatsumode": the first visit of the year to a Shinto shrine or Buddhist temple, to pray for good fortune.
  • "Osechi-ryori": special New Year foods packed in lacquered boxes; each dish has a symbolic meaning.
  • "Ozoni": a soup with "mochi" (rice cakes).
  • "Kadomatsu": decorations made of pine and bamboo placed at entrances to welcome the gods.
  • "Nengajo": New Year greeting cards, delivered on 1 January.
  • "Otoshidama": gifts of money given to children in decorated envelopes.
  • "Hatsuhinode": watching the first sunrise of the year.

Other New Year festivals in Asia:

  • China: "Chun Jie" (Spring Festival or Lunar New Year), in January or February; marked with dragon dances, red envelopes and fireworks.
  • Korea: "Seollal" (Lunar New Year).
  • Vietnam: "Tet" (Tet Nguyen Dan), the Lunar New Year.
  • Tibet and Bhutan: "Losar".
  • Thailand: "Songkran" (April), with water splashing.
  • Myanmar: "Thingyan" (April), water festival.
  • Iran: "Nowruz" (around 21 March, the spring equinox).
  • Sri Lanka: "Aluth Avurudu" (April).

New Year festivals in India:

Gudi Padwa (Maharashtra), Ugadi (Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh, Telangana), Baisakhi (Punjab), Bohag Bihu (Assam), Pohela Boishakh (West Bengal), Puthandu (Tamil Nadu), Vishu (Kerala), Navreh (Kashmir) and Cheti Chand (Sindhis).

Other Japanese festivals:

  • Hanami: cherry blossom viewing (spring).
  • Obon: festival of ancestors (August).
  • Tanabata: star festival (7 July).

Why not the other options?

  • ✗China celebrates the Spring Festival (Lunar New Year).
  • ✗Korea celebrates Seollal.
  • ✗Vietnam celebrates Tet.

Quick tip

Remember: Shogatsu = Japanese New Year (1 January; Hatsumode shrine visit; temple bells rung 108 times); China = Spring Festival; Korea = Seollal; Vietnam = Tet; Tibet = Losar; Iran = Nowruz; Thailand = Songkran.

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Festivals & Fairs of India — Preparation

This question tests your understanding of Festivals & Fairs of India, a key topic in the General Knowledge section. The detailed solution above uses a step-by-step approach to show the reasoning, and where available, a shortcut that helps you solve similar questions in under 90 seconds during the actual exam.

This topic covers the religious, harvest, tribal and cultural festivals of India, the fairs (melas) held across the country, and the states, communities and seasons linked to them. It also includes festivals listed by UNESCO as intangible cultural heritage, such as Kumbh Mela and Durga Puja in Kolkata. Most questions ask which state celebrates a festival, which tribe it belongs to, or what event it marks. Harvest festivals are especially common: Pongal (Tamil Nadu), Onam (Kerala), Bihu (Assam), Lohri and Baisakhi (Punjab) and Nuakhai (Odisha). Fairs such as the Pushkar camel fair (Rajasthan) and the Sonepur cattle fair (Bihar) are also frequently tested. Revise festivals state by state. Practise the festivals and fairs questions below, written in the style of the general awareness sections of exams such as SSC, banking, railways, CUET GAT, MAH CET and CLAT. Each question comes with a detailed explanation that adds related facts, so every question helps you revise more than one point.

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