Kagami Biraki, January 11, Japan
Friday, January 11, 2013 at 11:39AM Part of the New Years celebration, today is when you should perform the Kagami Biraki ceremony. Had a little bit of trouble finding out the whole deal but this is what I have gathered.
Over the holidays an arrangement is set up in a house shrine with a mirror, floral agreement, cask of sake and two mochi. The mochi is sweet rice that hardens during the holidays and on the 11th a hammer is used to break apart the rice cake to then eat. Though I did see where the cask is broken open as well or instead, not sure which is right. The reason you put this in a shine is as an offering to the creator and then the breaking is to break our of your old self and hopefully get to the more true you.
There seems to be a lot of symbolism (not surprisingly) in the whole agreement. An orange is supposed to sit on the top of the mochi and when breaking it you must use a hammer as a knife signifies the cutting off of oneself to others.
This ceremony is also done at weddings, opening of businesses and many dojos do it as well for the new year wether they are in the east or west.
Links:http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kagami_Biraki
http://www.aikidoda.org/aikidowebpages/seminarpdf/kagamidoc.pdf
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