SHIWASU - December in Japan
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It is already December. Only twenty days remain in this year.
In Japan, we call December "SHIWASU."
SHIWASU is the old term, and we write it as "師走" in Japanese characters.
When these Japanese characters are directly translated,
師 means priests or teachers, and 走 means to run.
So, SHIWASU means, "Priests are so busy that they have to run to recite Buddhist sutra."
In fact, December is the busiest month for many people,
so the name "SHIWASU" is still used even though it is the old term for December.
In Japan, we have a lot of customs especially in December such as;
・OSEIBO
（= We send the end of the year gift to relatives, co-workers, and so on）
・OSOJI
（= The thorough cleaning day of our home and office）
・NENGAJO
（= We prepare the New year's greeting card. It will be delivered on the New year's day）
We received some Oseibo from our clients.
Especially, I love the one of the December customs which is called "BONENKAI"
(Forget-the-year-parties).
We hold BONENKAI with co-workers and friends,
and the BONENKAI date is not fixed, so we can gather to enjoy drinking many times in December.
When you meet Japanese people in December, just say,
"Let's hold a BONENKAI."
They will be very surprised at your words,
but the next moment, they will delightedly say,
"Sure, let's do it! What day is OK for you?"