2021 is “Ushi-doshi” or the year of the ox.
In the old days, twelve animals were allotted to indicate years, months, days, hour, and directions. This system called “junishi” or twelve signs of the Chinese zodiac was originated in China and introduced to Japan as early as the 5th century.
“Ushi” means ox and is the second sign after the first one, “ne” or mouse corresponding to this year.
Ushi-doshi is believed to be a period during which the seeds sown in a “ne-year” germinate and grow. So, let’s hope that various measures against Covid-19 such as developing effective vaccines bear fruit for people to regain safe and secure life in 2021.
Reflecting the current difficult corona situation, shrines in NISHIOGI request worshipers to dispersedly visit them to avoid Covid-19. When you visit a NISHIOGI shrine before the New Year’s holidays, you can get good-luck talismans such as this sacred arrow with a depicted ox.
丑年へ
来年の干支は丑（うし）。
昔、方位・時刻・年月日を表すのに十二種の動物の名を使った。俗に十二支と称し、5世紀にはすでに中国から伝わっていた。
丑は牛の意で、本年の子（ね）＝ねずみ、に次いで十二支の2番目の名称。
丑年の特徴は、子年に蒔いた種が芽を出して成長する時期とされる。ワクチン開発などコロナ対策が実を結んで安心・安全な生活が戻る年となることを期待したい。
コロナ禍の現状下、西荻の神社でも「密」を避けるため新年の初詣の分散を勧めており、年内の“幸先詣”においても例示した破魔矢など丑年の縁起物が頒布されている。
