Seven herb rice porridge

"Nanakusa-gayu" (Seven herb rice porridge)

 

"Haru-no-Nanakusa" (seven herbs of spring)

It's the 7th of January. We eat "Nanakusa-gayu" to pray for our good health in Japan, This is a kind of rice porridge with the seven herbs of spring. This event is said to be the mix of Chinese and Japanese culture. In ancient China, from the first of New Year, an animal was cherished for each day, and the seventh was for human. On the seventh day, a murder was not punished and people ate soup with seven young greens to wish for their good health. In Japan, there was a custom of picking young herbs in Nara period, about 1,300 years ago, to receive the life of just sprouted greens. 

I'd like to protect our own traditional culture forever.

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"Nanakusa-gayu"