Burn away the old

Nice picture nice (mis)belief ! Bring 'Kibo' back to earth !

we're not learning, we just keep on burning

we're not learning, we just keep on burning

yes... this is certainly a cultural tendency with a very marked upside and downside

Carbon dioxide REDUCE!!

yes, let's pray for carbon dioxide reductions as we burn... maybe if the fire is bigger, we'll have a better chance of it coming true

The shrines do this while the guy who waits inside his car in the parking lot is expected to turn off the engines and freeze.

This is why I hate religion

Carbon dioxide REDUCE!!

Japan will just buy another planet with all their money when this one can no longer be used.

nice little tradition, sure beats getting blotto and a drunk driving charge

burns away last year’s goals and aspirations to make way for this year’s

Year in, year out...but Japan doesn't seem to change that much. Perhaps the shrines need to burn them more often..:)

"last year's goals and aspirations"

Fulfilled or unfulfilled?

Very nice Photo. Amazing colors and composition.

I think it is for burning bad luck, bad feelings, jealousy. Everybody who forgets about jealousy, animosity, warfare will be happy and forgiveness will bring peace and calm and soothe the mind. We must liberate ourselves from the bad thoughts and feelings we have harboured against people who are only human like us. I think the fire purifies the evil in us and brings us new hope and aspirations. It is a symbol that we have separated from the bad way and we will become better and kinder.

Fulfilled or unfulfilled?

I guess you should burn everything you feel was bad about. Even some of our fulfilled dreams should be burnt because maybe we were deceiving ourselves that they were the things we wanted in life. So I think it is up to the person to decide what to burn. I for example would burn some poetry sent to me.

Sarge: Fulfilled as both eyes are blacked in. Wish granted. Daruma-chan returns to heaven, mission accomplished. I really like this tradition although it is sad to see thing go crispy. Beautiful photo, though.

Hey ranger I love this religious tradition too, and I was gonna tell sarge the same thing. akemashite omedetougozaimasu!

I love the photo and it is a good custom to burn the past and to look for the future.

they sold it first, then make the customer burn it......smart !!

Oh....cripes! I actually forgot to burn my charm from the year of the Ox... Is it too late now?