What does everyone have planned for New Years?
Something about New Years makes me think of glitter and sparkles. Or maybe I just really like glitter and sparkles. Either way, I found these headbands at Don Quijote, our go-to discount store for just about anything.
Here in Japan, headbands are called "Katyusha," which is very weird since it's a nickname for the Russian name Ekaterina. After a little investigation, I've learned that the name came from a character in Tolstoy's novel "Resurrection." It was made into a play in Japan 1914 and apparently Sumako Matsui, who played the role of Katyusha, was wearing a headband in the play and it came to be known as the "Katyusha."
Interesting how things come to be.
Anyways, to bring things back to the present...I've finished making my Nengajo (new years greeting postcards). I thought you might like to see how I make them every year. This year I kept it really simple since I didn't have that much time. I forgot to put in the embossing powder and the pen I use to write in the picture but you get the picture. Now all I have to do is write in a little message to everyone and send them out!
Oh well done Kaori, I was so lazy this year (and last year too if I'm being truly honest!) I didn't send out one Christmas card and each time I received one I felt so bad, but not bad enough to send back haha! Yes I lived in Africa from age four til twenty one, was fantastic!
ReplyDeletei'm going to a Bollywood party for New Year and I'd love to be wearing those braclets
ReplyDeleteVery nice and very color coordinated posting!
ReplyDelete«Louis» wishes you a wonderful New Year, Kaori!
ReplyDeleteNice story about the headbands, I like when you explain your wonderful traditions.
ReplyDeleteI grinned when I saw how sparkly the headbands in the photo are. I've heard Osaka likes bling things (she says with her tongue very firmly in her cheek). Is that actually true? PS: Thanks for an interesting story!
ReplyDeleteOh! Your postcards are wonderful! I love the seahorses and the variegated colors of the ink and the iridescent embossing powder! You put them all together so beautifully to make such charming works of art. Your family and friends are going to be thrilled to get these! - And that is a fun story about the origin of y'alls name for headbands. I like knowing tidbits like that. And a beautiful macro shot of them too. - Since it is the year of the dragon, I shall have to be on the lookout for more of them!
ReplyDeleteFascinating story! I would never ever have guessed!
ReplyDeleteYour cards are lovely, lovely! It's been years since I've had time to make my own! Nowadays I just concentrate on baking and making my presents!
Very nice!
ReplyDeleteI think we'll be having a quiet New Years at home, my wife was thinking about having a party but we never put it together. Happy New Years!
ReplyDeleteSea horses for dragons! Very cute and clever.
ReplyDeleteThose blue fan shapes look like they are made of washi and hand torn. Definitely not scissored. How did you do that?
You might mention that those numbers on the bottom of the cards (top photo) are for a kind of national lottery. One year I won a special commemorative set of two stamps I still have somewhere. But some people win quantities of money as well.
I really appreciate and enjoy your “asides” giving such interesting information. I neither heard of that Tolstoy novel nor of Sumako Matsui. Kenji Mizoguchi made a biopic of her I would like to see someday. Kinuyo Tanaka played the lead. Anyway I can listen to Sumako Matsui sing “Katyusha’s Song” here from 1914 or so.
Speaking of headbands; uniforms (from yesterday); and katyusha, to bring things up a century we could use the help of AKB48 and their Everyday Katyusha.
A translation into English ( also with roman-lettered and kanji Japanese) of the AKB48 Katyusha song here.
ReplyDeleteCool cards.
ReplyDeleteInteresting tie-in: AKB48 perform live every day on the 8th floor of the Akihabara Don Quixote. So, a person could see, buy, wear, hear, and watch being performed katyusha all in the same building on the same day. Ah, Tokyo!
ReplyDelete大正４年—1915.
ReplyDeleteOK, I am probably going overboard here but this was interesting: an 80-yen stamp with the horizontal writing in the pre-war right-to-left style here. Sumako Matsui also made a short silent film of Katyusha but I couldn’t find any of it.
ReplyDeleteThe most images of her I could find were here. Mousing over the photos on the left brings them to the top. Clicking on them enlarges them. (You can see where I found the stamp image). I can see what look like headbands on the far left of the montage, exhibition-looking photo.
Very fun to see how you make your New Years cards!
ReplyDeleteI just wish one would show up in my mailbox, too....
Happy New Year, Kaori!
I love your story about the headbands!!! And what a fun pic!!!
ReplyDeleteWow, lots of sparkles. I love stamps - I bought a number of stamps when I was in Japan. Cute little ones of plants and flowers. Love your sparkling seahorses.
ReplyDeleteThat's such a lovely nengajyo you'd made! Do I get one too? :P
ReplyDeleteI love the cards you made! And I don't call that simple. Lol! You're inspiring me to be creative. I owe my mom a Christmas gift and I have half-made placemats in my sewing supplies (moving interrupts a lot of projects). I should work on those.
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