[Fawn Diary] Japan's Winter Solstice Traditions

Hey 芝麻包, Yotsuma~!!

Today is the winter solstice ♡

I heard that in Taiwan people eat tangyuan on the winter solstice! (Thanks for teaching me that ♡)

Apparently there's even black sesame tangyuan, which sounds amazing —

now I'm just sitting here grinning, wanting to try it ♡

(This piece here is fan art drawn by mumu! Knowing this is meant to be all of you in 芝麻包 makes it even cuter, and I've gotten really attached to it ♡)

In Japan, one winter solstice tradition is eating pumpkin —

but I think the most famous one is probably taking a yuzu bath! (At least, that's just how it feels to me, personally, lol)

So today, we did a yuzu bath at home too!

...Okay, I know, "couldn't you find a better photo than this?!" — I'll happily take that comment, lol lol.

I mean, come on, a bathroom photo felt a little sensitive?? Forgive me, lol lol.

There are a bunch of theories about how the yuzu bath tradition got started around the winter solstice, but one goes something like:

the winter solstice is the longest night of the year → after it, the days start getting longer → your luck starts turning around →

"so let's purify ourselves in a fragrant bath before our luck rises, to boost it even further ☆"

Yuzu baths are also said to improve circulation, ease poor circulation-related chills, and warm up the body to help prevent colds — perfect for weather this cold!

(Today's low in Nara was a shocking -7°C / 19°F!)

Winter solstice or not, I really hope you all get to enjoy something like this at home too!!

When 烈芝麻's fan name got decided as "芝麻包,"

I honestly didn't know much yet about what a 芝麻包 actually was,

so learning now that it has a connection to the winter solstice too

makes me want to turn next year's solstice into a "芝麻包 anniversary" of sorts, and celebrate it together with all of you ♡

The cold days are going to keep coming, so everyone in 芝麻包, please take care of yourselves!

See you all again at the next stream, full of energy ♡

烈芝麻。