Happy New Year!

One of my SL traditions is hatsumode, the first shrine visit of the year.  I really started it after 2016 when I was fortunate enough to be in Japan physically for the new year, and spent that midnight at Meiji Shrine in Tokyo, so it's partly a nostalgia thing of a very enjoyable trip.  We made a lot of shrine (and temple- shrines are Shinto, temples are Buddhist) visits across the country that year as I went on a bit of a pilgrimage with a friend, and brought home a few hamaya and other lucky items (you are not supposed to keep them forever, but to return them to shrines to "release" their luck and get new ones the next year- I fear we do not keep to that tradition as we do not have such access to replace them every year, and they serve also as reminders of a wonderful time.  And the challenge of carrying them on the train as we traveled across the country!).  Shinto is beautiful- a rich mythology, with respect for the world around you and the impermanence of things.  I struggle with that last bit sometimes, and it's a good reminder to appreciate it for its own fleeting beauty.

My hatsumode is always at Katakana Shrine, an outpost on mainland.  This year I was honored to be invited to celebrate with them as well, and you can find a couple of free gifts from me by the lucky boards.  There are a number of free and lucky board items at the base of the shrine- and if you walk up the stairs, there is also a hamaya from Katakana Shrine that you can carry around.

Two gifts from me: the platform okobo おこぼ geta 下駄 with tigers and lucky red sea bream designs come with 4 solid strap colors, and you can also use other geta strap HUDs to add more options if you desire.

X kimono: *catNap.*neko kimono (chocolawka)
socks: :::classical*Cute*clothing:::TabiSocks (kamo)

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And tiger daruma だるま!  I love daruma dolls, designed around a story about a Buddhist monk, they generally come without eyes, and you fill in one eye when you decide on a goal, and the second eye is filled in once you achieve it.  White and yellow tigers are in the box at Katakana Shrine, you can also find a red clad zodiac tiger daruma as a free gift at Japonica.  Anyone can touch the eyes to fill or clear them- touch and hold for 5 seconds for a menu to lock the goals on your daruma so no one else can change them on you.

Katakana Shrine will be celebrating the new year for the month of January.

Since I can't goshuin in SL (yet at least- collecting stamps and signatures from shrines and temples in a special book- it's a record of places you've visited and if they were open, we got them!), I collect hamaya, ceremonial "demon breaking arrow", from shrines at the new year.  Other shrines you can find things at include:

tonarino has a hamaya at their shrine, check out the rest of the sim, and find the way up to cat town!

kingyo jingu, an ethereal shrine on the water (use shared environment!)

hanpu jinja at japan canvas has a shrine for the new year, with a hamaya.  For the fireworks, you might wish to set the environment to night.

Japonica has a shrine, at the back of the center building, with a hamaya.  I really enjoy the builds each event at Japonica, aside from the shopping section, they have unique photo and landscaped areas.  The larger buildings the stores are in this time can be walked into and through, and have hidden vignettes inside of them.

SHIKI Shinto has a trio of hamaya for a small donation to the shrine.

nekoma shrine has a number of hamaya and other lucky new year items to buy for a small donation to the shrine.

And if you join the group [[RH]] & [MB], you can get a few new year group gifts including hamaya between their stores (both of which are worth a look around, they do beautiful work).  They come with a stand for displaying.

Okinawa's shrine has an ema board, the wooden prayer board that are often a bonus attached to a hamaya (I collected a few of those too- they are available year round, and you're supposed to write your prayers on them and leave them at the shrine, but again, souvenirs!), as well as a pair of tiger lanterns.

Schadenfreude Daruma and Kokeshi Sake

I continue to have a thing for daruma dolls.  Again, paired with my thing for kokeshi dolls, a 菰樽/飾り樽 sake barrel set of daruma (no eyes, one eye, both eyes filled) and kokeshi (again with the stacking!) art- assemble your stacks to make the dolls you want, for celebrating the New Year at Okinawa New Year Festival.  The HUD will work with other sake barrels, so while the pyramids aren't in this set, replaced by the taller stacks, you can still apply them either direction if you have other sets.  Set doll versions ("set" button below each) are provided for each kokeshi, plus the random mix and choose each piece specifically.  1 to 2 LI each at about a standard 4-to 72 liter size of about .65 meters tall barrel, with extra shading options to choose from if you are picky in how you stack!  (There are versions of top and side shadow boxed so you can stack them on top of each other or next to each other and keep the shading they have in the particular stacks also.)

Plus a sake set to match the daruma barrels, bottle open and still sealed, cups full and empty.  Touch rezzed cups and versions of the bottles to change the eyes, or other versions of the bottles to get a drink.

At Okinawa New Year Festival until January 11!

Schadenfreude Year of the Tiger Sake Barrels and Kagami Cat

Happy year of the tiger!  Japonica is celebrating the new year, and a cat has taken the place of the mochi in my kagami mochi 鏡鼠 this year.  The cat comes in or out of the tray, with an orange on the head, the offering tray 三宝 and paper, together and separately are also included, 1 LI each piece.

And a new set of 菰樽/飾り樽 sake barrels decorated for the new year, with a maneki neko and a tiger version, a kumade (rake decorated with lucky symbols to rake in luck) in normal and tiger version, zodiac clay bell, and a haruko no tora (a traditional papier-mâché tiger of Kagawa Prefecture).  Stacks and single barrels, 1 to 2 LI each at about a standard 4-to 72 liter size of about .65 meters tall barrel, with extra shading options to choose from if you are picky in how you stack!  (There are versions of top and side shadow boxed so you can stack them on top of each other or next to each other and keep the shading they have in the particular stacks also.)  HUD texture all to your desires- set them all the same, choose individual labels to texture to exactly what you want, or let it randomize them for you with the mix button.  You can also mix HUDs from other sake barrel sets for more options, even in the same stack.

At Japonica, open December 25 at 8am SLT - January 23 at 8am SLT.

Schadenfreude Castlereagh Deer Heads and Frame

Fauxidermy deer heads at Okinawa Christmas Festival, with frames to use alone or highlight their mounting.  with 22 texture options: wood, silver, gold, rose gold, and a rainbow (and pastel rainbow) of plastics.  The deer heads can be changed with the entire head the same option, or mix the head, antlers, and each eye to options you choose.  The deer heads come plain in every pack, plus decorated options for Christmas.  The holly bedecked version has two little pieces of holly attached- each side is also included separately, and you can unlink holly to use it for decorations elsewhere as well if you desire. The ornaments version has 6 ornaments hanging off the antlers, each can be changed independently to your choice of shiny and matte-er ornaments in an assortment of colors.  The fairy lights version has a few solid bulbs (red, green, yellow, blue, and purple), alternating color bulbs, and a multi string to choose from, and can be set to all be solidly lit, off, or two different blinking modes.  The candles can be individually lit and extinguished, with the ability to set your own lighting settings which will be remembered.  There is a candelabra with 8 candles, and a menorah style with an extra candle in the center on the head, as usual my menorahs are entirely non traditional.  Hanukkah was quite early this year so it has already passed, but for future years!  All are 1 LI each, with the exception of the candle holding versions- those are each 2 LI.

The frames come in 3 versions: an open version for highlighting other wall hangings (like the deer head), an open neon version with a light halo from the neon lights hidden at the base, and a closed version with a scratched antique mirror or to hold your own picture.

All to be found at the Okinawa Christmas Festival, until December 25.  The Winter Festival continues with a New Year Festival later.

Schadenfreude Diamant Champagne

For Collabor88, some Glammed Up champagne to celebrate the holidays, Diamant is a Brut champagne with jewels inside the bottle and poured into glasses.  Texture change gemstones with assorted options, including a closed bottle, an opened bottle, the cork, a bottle in a silver urn bucket (with gems atop the ice), and glasses both empty and full.  The glass can be held and you can drink from it, the bottles include versions that will give glasses to drink to your guests.

At this Collabor88, until January 6!

Schadenfreude Apple and Pecan Pie

Pies at Collabor88!   Apple and pecan, each pie comes with a whole pie, a pie missing a slice, an empty pie pan, a plate with a piece of pie, a plate with a piece of pie and a fork, and a separate fork.  Texture scripted for 8 embossed ceramic colours, includes versions of the plates and the fork to hold, and versions of the whole and slice missing pies that will give pie to those who touch it.

I've never made an apple pie- apple pie was never big in my family so I haven't even eaten many of them.  Now, pecan pie, on the other hand...

My mother's recipe for pecan pie:

pie shell of your choice: We cheat in my house, and use Pillsbury premade pie crusts.  The refrigerated one that you roll out, comes in a pack of 2 so you have an excuse for a second pie.  Making pie crusts is a lot of work, and these are pretty decent, so you know, more time to make more pies this way.

3 eggs, slightly beaten
1/2 cup raw sugar
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 cup light corn syrup
1/2 teaspoon vanilla
1 cup pecans

Mix everything together: it's easiest to mix them without the pecans first, then add pecans and then mix those in too.

If you have a gas oven:
Bake 10 minutes at 450
Then 35 minutes at 350

If you have an electric oven:
Preheat the oven to 450
Lower heat to 375 when you put the pie in
Cook for 45 minutes

At this Collabor88, until December 6!

Schadenfreude Skull Safety Pins

Safety pins with skull closures, in silver, gold, and rose gold at RITUAL.  There are just safety pins, open and closed; Meoli (머리) earrings that don't have the loop so they are easier to wear, and Dugae(두개) necklace with a large safety pin on a chain.  Just safety pins and earrings have larger bounding boxes so they don't have to be as big as they come and can be scaled down quite a bit if you prefer.

X shirt: Stories∓Co. Monroe Cropped Tank (flutter.memel)
skin: skin: -tres blah- {Light} Blessa, retired (julliette.westerburg)

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At RITUAL, November 2 - 22.