Video: Thomas Jefferson Students Host Festival for Japanese New Year

The Japanese Honor Society at Thomas Jefferson High School for Science and Technology (TJHSST) held a pre-celebration of Japanese New Year Friday afternoon that featured a calligraphy ceremony (see video above), food and other activities.

Senior Ian Lin, president of the Japanese Honor Society, said the club began preparations for the annual event about two months ago.

Both students and alumni gathered in the cafeteria to sample Japanese food, make rice cakes using a mallet, which is the traditional way of preparing them in Japan, and purchase Japanese themed crafts such as owl dolls and necklaces,.

Members of the school band also briefly stopped by the cafeteria to perform Christmas songs for the crowd prior to the calligraphy performance.

Japan will celebrate its New Year on Jan. 1, 2013.