There are so many people who subscribe to a new years cleaning regime, there are ones who end the year by purging things they don’t need before the holidays and others who love to do a big spring refresh by cleaning out their closets and garage come April. I’d say I do a mix of all these. Mostly because I’m a purger and love getting rid of things. Yes, there are times I’ve regretted getting rid of things in haste but mostly I just love the feeling of a well curated space. I feel like I am always battling the piles around the house. There’s nothing better when there’s a place for everything.
The Japanese have a yearly practice called Osoji and though it’s technically at the end of the year, we’re only into mid January so in my book, I think it still counts.
Spring cleaning is a well-established seasonal reset, but in Japan, many people also engage in a similar practice at the end of the year: ōsōji. It literally means “great cleaning,” though it’s associated with Shinto beliefs, it can be viewed as a secular exercise or a more spiritual ritual.
“Ōsōji, or the year-end deep cleaning, is similar in spirit to spring cleaning in that it’s an important opportunity to clear away a year’s worth of dirt and dust,” explained Marie Kondo, who has a chapter on ōsōji in her recent release, Letter From Japan. “What makes it different, however, is its timing and meaning. Since it’s done at the end of the year, it’s not only a chance to reflect on the past 12 months, but also a way to prepare for the arrival of Toshigami-sama ― the deity who visits at New Year’s to bring happiness for the year ahead.”
It’s ok if you didn’t do some kind of big clean at the end of last year, in some calendars the New Year doesn’t start for a few weeks. Chinese New Year is Tuesday February 17 this year. You don’t have to drop all your plans and start scrubbing the baseboards — Kondo advised reflecting on how you can incorporate ōsōji in a way that’s best for you. “Even if you choose just one small area that’s been bothering you, cleaning it with a sense of gratitude for the past year can become both an expression of appreciation toward your home and a gentle opportunity for self-reflection,” she said. “It may also help you begin the new year with a fresh and renewed feeling.”
I started in my junk drawer. What corner of your house will you start to refresh?