New Years 2008

I thought I might as well start a new blog for 2008, since I haven't written for about a year now.
First off, goes back a bit, but pictures from New Years. Our family for the very first time, actually went OUT for the New Years Holidays. Drove up to Chiba, where my brother's family is.

On New Years Day, we went to Asakusa-Jinjya. Throngs and THRONGS of people! My dad for some reason, wanted to experience this.

It was a first for me, going to the shrine on January 1st.
Wow. Pretty amazing. There was this sense of happiness in the air.
(Maybe that's due to the fact that the New Years Holiday is the only time in the year people can take more than 3 days off)

People seem to hold the belief that the Omikuji, kinda like a horoscope I guess, you buy on Jan. 1st is especially lucky. Everyone was flocking to them.

There were a lot of booths that sold all sorts of food and good luck items for the coming year.

An old couple with a Takoyaki booth.
I opted for a baked potato, candy-apple, and Oobanyaki(sort of like a pancake with filling inside)
It was good!

I think you call these Hagoita. Something like badminton, but you use the boards. I think it's supposed to bring good luck??

A whole booth dedicated to Daruma!!
These fellas are supposed to bring good luck too, I think.
Their eyes aren't painted on, so the buyer is supposed to draw an eye, each time something good happens I think.