January - Mutsuki Pine and Crane: It is composed of 20 points of "light", 5 points of red "short", and two 0 points of "skin". The patterns of "light" are 1/4 of the sun, a crane, and pine trees. The sun is used here to symbolize the sunrise of the new year, and the crane prays for the health and longevity of the family. The appearance of pine trees in the January card comes from the Japanese custom of "Kado Matsu" (Kado Matsu), because Japanese people decorate the entrances of their homes with pine branches during the week starting from January 1st to welcome the new year. Ancestor God and Hongfu. Moreover, the beginning sound of Tsuru (Crane; つる Tsuru) happens to take over the last sound of "Kadomatsu", which is also a Japanese custom.
In addition, except for the August moon and the November sycamore, there are 5 points of cyan and red "bands". This thing is a kind of paper called "Danzhu". The traditional Japanese poem "Haiku" is written on this "Alchemy Book", which is about 36cm*6cm in size. Looking at its color, red is festive and auspicious to the Japanese. So from the red shorts in January, February and March, we can see how festive these months are for the Japanese.
February - Kisaragi Plum and Warbler: There are magpies and plum blossoms in the pattern. The plum blossoms appear because starting from February, Ibaraki and other places in Japan will hold plum blossom festivals in plum blossom parks. Magpies are familiar birds to Japanese people, and there is even a place named "Oiudani" in the Tokyo area. However, as migratory birds, magpies only migrate to Japan in April. Why they appear in February is still unclear. Perhaps it is to comply with the alliterative relationship between the pronunciation of magpie, Uguisu, and the pronunciation of plum blossom, Ume.
March - Yayoi Sakura and Maku: It is the season of stunning cherry blossoms, so all the patterns in March are occupied by cherry blossoms. Drawn under the "light" sign of the cherry blossoms is the curtain of the famous painting "Mainmu" (まんまく). Slow curtains are used during festive events. Perhaps behind this curtain are spring visitors pouring wine and watching flowers.
April - Uzuki Vine and Swallow: Black Lespedeza. It is actually a vine tree. Japan holds the Fuji Tree Festival in April. The vine tree symbolizes summer in the poem, and the swallow in the ten-point card is also a bird that often appears in the title of the poem and is loved by the Japanese. Lespedeza can be made into a broom.
May - Satuki (Satuki) Iris and Yatsuhashi: Orchid, actually this is not an orchid, it should be a gladiolus. Purple gladioli is an ornamental plant that mostly blooms in humid places and symbolizes summer in poetry. Each of the 10-point cards has 3 small sticks arranged in a T shape and a small red-headed stick. These are respectively the small wooden bridge (Yahashi; やつはし) erected for the convenience of flower viewing and the piers to support the wooden bridge. There is a person standing at one end of the bridge, but he cannot fit into the 1-inch sign.
June - Minazuki Peonies and Butterflies: Peonies are not only poetic expressions of summer, but also symbolize nobility, so peonies can be seen in the family crests of many Japanese people. trace. Both flowers and butterflies appear in the painting, which is an oriental convention. But in Korean paintings, butterflies and flowers are never put together. This is because there are no butterflies in the peony paintings sent to Silla by Emperor Taizong of the Tang Dynasty. In addition, June, September and October each have a green shortfall of 5 points. In Japan, cyan suggests melancholy. It is said that this is because June, September and October in Japan are the months when heavy rains and typhoons are raging, which is related to the occurrence of disasters in various places.
July - Fumizuki Hagi and Pig: Among the 4 cards in July, only a wild boar appears in the 10-point card, and the rest are just lespedeza. Wild boars appear because July is the month for wild boar hunting.
August - Hazuki, awns, moon, and wild geese: This is because August is not only the month for watching the moon (お月见; おつきみ), but also the month for the migration of wild geese. The black part of Korean flower cards is the mountain, and the white part of the ten-point card is the sky. Moreover, the Korean flower cards in August are not painted with grass, while the Japanese flower cards are painted with grass. Notice that there are no 5-point cards among the flower cards in August. Maybe it is the autumn harvest and people have no time for poetry and entertainment.
September - Nagatsuki Chrysanthemum and Cup: This is because there is a Chrysanthemum Festival in Japan this month.
The 10-point card contains a wine cup engraved with the word "Kotobuki", which reflects the traditional Japanese concept of "drinking chrysanthemum wine on September 9th and wearing chrysanthemum clothes will lead to a long life" since the Heian Period in the 9th century. In addition, the chrysanthemum pattern is a symbol of Japanese royal power and can serve as two skins in the game. Sake cup (cup; さかずき SakaZuki) and chrysanthemum (Ju; きく Kiku) obey the last rhyme rule.
October - Kannazuki Red Leaves and Deer: It is the season for viewing maple leaves and the hunting season for deer. The Maple Leafs and Bucks in the 10-point card reflect this. The final rhyme and alliteration of deer ( deer; しか) and maple ( maple; かえで) are the same.
November - Frost Moon (Shimotsuki) Ono Michikaze, Willow and Swallow, and Den: The pattern in November is quite special. A person holding an umbrella appears in the 20-point "light" card, and a winding moon. A stream of water and a frog are called the "Rain" card; the 10-point card shows a swallow in a floral dress; a strange red and black pattern that can serve as a double skin. The person holding an umbrella and wearing a bamboo hat is Ono Michikaze, one of the Japanese calligraphers. Draw the frog because you were moved by its tenacity to climb the tree.
December - Shiwasu December Tong and Phoenix: The 20-point "light" card depicts a hen-like bird and a sweet potato-like thing. The black sweet potato-like pattern is a sycamore leaf, which is more eye-catching in Japanese flower cards. The sycamore leaf is also a symbol of the shogun and represents Japanese national public schools. And that strange bird is actually a phoenix, symbolizing the shogun's perseverance and status. Now you can understand why Japanese people like sycamore trees.