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On New Year's Day, Buddhist god Hotei brings gifts and good fortune in Japan

  • Written by Megan Bryson, Associate Professor of Religious Studies, University of Tennessee
On New Year's Day, Buddhist god Hotei brings gifts and good fortune in JapanHotei hands out gifts to children.Detail of print by Kuniyoshi Utagawa, 1798-1861, via Wikimedia Commons

The new year brings a fresh start, symbolized in some cultures by the cherubic baby New Year who replaces the old year that has come to a close. In Japan, the roly-poly god Hotei, who is often identified with Santa Claus, ushers in the new year...

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