New Year's holiday's

During New year holiday's, many people retun home from the city. And my sibling's families came back to my home.
I was really looking forward to seeing them, but I had to stick to cook traditional New Year's food's dishes for them. Recently, it became easier than before, because many modern wives can't take such an enough time for cook. It is called "osechi." I'm a good cook, but it was not easy work.
The foods that make up osechi each have a special meaning associated with good luck.
For example, black beans wish for hard work, herring roe are for being gifted with children, lobsters are for long life, etc.
And we eat a zouni which rice cakes boiled in vegetable soup.
A wide variety of ingredients used for zoni are particular to the region where it's made. In the Kansai area, people enjoy a zoni miso soup, while a plain zoni soup is popular in Kanto.
The ingredients of zouni depend on the region, farm harvest is different by location. So, traditional foods will be opened to each region's life and culture and history.
And, I gave a New Year's monetary gift to my loved niece. we call it Otoshidama. It is one of the happy events for children during the New Year holidays. I can't betray the expectation of her.
Finally, I got a gift from my brother. It was a lucky charm. I've realized Japanese is very superstitious. But I'm OK as long as everyone's happy. I just wish my loved people's happiness in 2010.