Kadomatsu displays are traditional Japanese bamboo and twine decorations put on display by the 28th of December and removed on the 7th or 15th of January. They are supposed to bring good fortune. After January 15 they should be burnt to appease the gods. I learned this information from the internet, not my relatives. LOL! The Kadomatsu in the photo above was made by a friend. I added the bird/pinecone decoration because I thought it needed more colorful interest.
I'm not sure that this is a Kadomatsu but it was alongside the other displays in a Japanese department store. It does look festive and I plan to hang it in our entryway. I probably won't burn it though, too pretty! There were literally hundreds of varieties of Kadumatsu for sale in almost every store we passed. I just couldn't pass up getting these Rilakkuma Kadumatsu because they were so cute and creative. They inspire me to think up some new modern versions of Kadomatsu to hand craft...for next year. LOL!
