Tied in circle with long willow branches 島台、手桶水 (teoke) decorated with しめ縄 sacred rice straw ropes.. relatively big kettle with happy inspiration such as its name is 万歳, or the surface is decorated with 松竹梅 patterns. Lid rest such as plum blossoms patterns or shape of 突羽根 (it's a flower petal, tsukubane, it’s shuttlecock for traditional battledore) Flashy? January
I guess anything with 初 is fine. Miya suggested I use 初笑い, for example.
ふたり見し 雪はことしも 降りけるか | futari mishi yuki wa kotoshi mo furikeru ka | The snow we two once viewed together - has it fallen again this year? |
- Bashō
These sweets, similar to ribbon candy served in the West, are made of strips of sugar cake that have been dyed red and white, the traditional congratulatory colors in Japan, and tied in knots before they harden.