Nanakusa-no-sekku
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Nanakusa-no Sekku (七草の節句) is the long-standing Japanese custom of eating nanakusa-gayu (seven-herbs rice gruel) on January 7.
The nanakusa are seven edible wild herbs of spring, which usually are Japanese parsley (seri), Shepherd's Purse (nazuna), Cotton Weed ( gogyo), henbit (hakobera), turnip (suzuna), and Japanese radish (suzushiro). There are many variations of ingredients although common local herbs are mainly used.
In the morning of January 7, or the night before, people place the nanakusa, rice scoop, and/or wooden pestle on the cutting board and, facing the good-luck direction, chant "Before the bird of Tang (China) flies to Japan, let's get nanakusa" while cutting the herbs into pieces. This chant varies as well.
The seventh of the first month has been an important Japanese festival since ancient times. The custom of eating nanakusa-gayu on this day, to bring longevity and health, developed in Japan from a similar ancient Chinese custom, intended to ward off evil. Since there is little green at that time of the year, the young green herbs bring color to the table and eating them suits the spirit of the New Year.
The spring-time nanakusa are mirrored by the "seven flowers of autumn", which are bush clover (hagi), Japanese pampas grass (obana), kudzu, pink-flowered valerian (nadeshiko), yellow flowered valerian (ominaeshi), thoroughwort (fujibakama), and Chinese bell flower (kikyo). These seven autumn flowers provide visual enjoyment. Their simplicity was very much admired: they are small and dainty yet beautifully colored. They are named as typical fall flowers in a verse from the Man'yoshu anthology. ja:七草