Winter Solstice celebrate with cleaning Onsen & Food, Makanai Bath Salts

In ancient Japan, people regarded the winter solstice as "the sun's power getting weak, the day that death impending". Hence activities and customs of "removing disasters and ill fortune" were developed, which have been passed down to now.

Then, let's get right to the point and introduce to you what people do on the winter solstice in modern Japan.

1: In the past, food was not as plentiful as it is now, so people preserved the summer vegetable pumpkin well until winter. Eating pumpkin in winter would warm up your body, then people could spend (get through) winter, and this is with the meaning of removing disasters and ill fortune. In addition, since pumpkin is nutritious, it can prevent you from cold or stroke.

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2: Take a Yuzu Bath. Warm your body and soul with a trip to the hot spring, onsen. It is said that the custom of taking a bath with yuzu, a Japanese citrus fruit, started during the Edo period (1603 – 1868). As the Japanese value the wisdom of their elders, this tradition exists to this day.

There are many different reasons why both eating and taking a yuzu bath is a good thing to do on this day. Yuzu packs a lot of vitamin C and is essential to protect yourself against colds and the flu. Adding yuzu to a warm bath gives it a nice fragrance and rubbing the yuzu against your skin heals it from the cold damage. Because of the sharp smell of citrus it is also believed to keep demons and bad luck at bay.

It’s easy, just pop some store-bought yuzu in your hot bath and you’re done. You can also cut the yuzu in slices and soak them in the bath using a sheer towel or cloth like you’re making tea.

3: In the lunisolar calendar in ancient China, the winter solstice was regarded as the day that "Yin qi ends while Yang qi returns". Ichiyoraifuku (一陽来復) conveys exactly the same meaning, and it also has the meaning of "The end of winter and the beginning of spring" or "The end of bad things and the beginning of good things (After a storm comes a calm)". Therefore, from the winter solstice to the Setsubun (Feb. 3rd) the next year, some shrines will hand out the "一陽来復" good-luck charms.
Japan has adopted many traditions from China, and amongst them is the belief in auspicious days. The Winter Solstice usually comes paired with a new moon, the mark to start something new. Since the day is also very short, it is seen as “the day when both moon and sun are rejuvenated”. It truly is a day about revitalizing both body and nature.

From this day onward the days will start getting longer again, bringing more sun. With this swing from night to day it is also believed that it’s a swing from the negative to the positive, meaning everyone’s luck will turn for the positive side!


Makanai

Beauty secrets Since 1899

Inspired by the natural resources of Kanazawa, northeast of Japan, as well as the wisdom of women from the area, Makanai brings to you the best of Japanese natural beauty care.

Makanai products are cruely-free, safe from harmful chemicals and are filled with the natural goodness of essential oils, food-based ingredients and Japanese-harvested, naturally-derived materials.

Carefully selected, high quality natural ingredients such as Konnyaku, Washi paper, rice bran, silk, soy beans, black sugar and gold leaves are combined together using tried-and-true beauty recipes passed down by women over many generations.

These treatments are now professionally-developed, clinically-tested and made relevant in our modern world to provide skin with the ultimate natural pampering.

MAKANAI Yuzu Herbal Bath Soaks

Create your own healing space at home with our luxurious series of natural and fragrant bath soaks. 

How to use: 

  • Insert the bath soak bag into a bathtub filled with water

  • Let it steep for several minutes

  • Then enjoy your bath

Our bath soaks can also be used for foot or hand baths. After use, you can recycle the herb bag by drying it and placing it in the wardrobe, under your pillow, in the car or inside your shoes as a deodorizer. 

INGREDIENTS:

  • Yuzu, Dandelion (orange peel), coriander, Mandarin orange peel oil, Orange Oil & Riboflavin

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