How to Read “元日から大晦日まで笑う者はない”
ganjitsu kara ōmisoka made warau mono wa nai
Meaning of “元日から大晦日まで笑う者はない”
This proverb means “Throughout the year, there is no one who can spend their time laughing continuously.”
No matter how blessed someone’s circumstances may be, no matter how optimistic their personality, it is impossible to continuously spend 365 days from New Year’s Day to New Year’s Eve always smiling and living happily. This expression shows the reality that difficulties, sadness, worries, and hardships inevitably come to life, and that this is natural as a human being.
This proverb is used to comfort people facing difficult events or to accept life’s hardships as a matter of course. When someone is envying another person saying “That person always seems so happy,” you might say “But From New Year’s Day to New Year’s Eve laughing person does not exist, you know,” to convey that everyone has invisible struggles. It is also used as emotional support when facing difficulties oneself, accepting that this is not something special but natural as a human being.
Origin and Etymology
When researching the origin of this proverb, the current situation is that no clear first appearance in literature or established theory can be found. While the origin is uncertain, it is considered to be an expression that emerged among common people from the Edo period to the Meiji period.
Considering the lives of Japanese people at that time, it was probably a word born from the realistic observation that there was no one who could truly laugh from the heart throughout the year. The lives of common people in the Edo period were certainly not easy. Farmers suffered from annual taxes, merchants worried about the ups and downs of business, and craftsmen were busy acquiring skills and maintaining their livelihoods.
Even if they spent New Year’s Day with smiles full of hope for the new year, difficulties and sorrows would inevitably come during the year. Various trials awaited them, such as illness, poor harvests, business failures, and interpersonal troubles. It is presumed that this proverb was born from the human observation of our predecessors who looked at such realities of life, thinking “No matter how happy someone may seem, there is no one who can keep laughing for an entire year.”
This proverb contains the realistic life philosophy of Japanese people who calmly accept life’s joys and sorrows.
Usage Examples
- The neighboring family always seems so harmonious and enviable, but From New Year’s Day to New Year’s Eve laughing person does not exist, so they probably have various issues in places we can’t see
- I’ve been having nothing but bad luck lately, but they say From New Year’s Day to New Year’s Eve laughing person does not exist, so I guess there are times like this
Modern Interpretation
In modern society, the meaning of this proverb has become more complex. With the spread of social media, we now see other people’s “happy moments” far more than before. Instagram and Facebook are flooded with fun-looking photos and posts, sometimes creating the illusion that other people are “laughing from New Year’s Day to New Year’s Eve.”
However, this is precisely what highlights the modern value of this proverb. Content posted on social media represents life’s highlight scenes, and not everyone posts their daily worries and difficulties as they are. The lives of others we see online are merely fragments cut from reality.
Modern people tend to get tired of comparing themselves with others amid information overload. They are easily misled by superficial information like “that person is always traveling abroad” or “my friend eats delicious food every day.” In such times, this proverb gives us the calm perspective that “what you see is not everything.”
Also, while modern society tends to consider “always being positive” a virtue, this proverb teaches us that “sometimes feeling down is also natural as a human being.” It continues to convey to modern times the importance of not seeking perfect happiness too much and accepting life’s ups and downs.
When AI Hears This
This proverb perfectly captures what modern psychology has discovered as the “happiness paradox.” Research from Harvard University shows that people who consciously try to “be happy” actually experience lower levels of well-being. This happens because the pressure to “be happy all the time” creates mental burden instead of relief.
This phenomenon has become even more pronounced in our social media-dominated era. Looking at Instagram posts, everyone seems constantly joyful and fulfilled. But in reality, many people are exhausting themselves by forcing smiles just to collect likes. American studies have found that people who spend more time on social media show higher rates of depression.
What’s fascinating is that this proverb assumes it’s perfectly natural to have times when we’re not laughing. This stands in stark contrast to modern “positive thinking supremacy” and instead accepts sadness and suffering as natural parts of life. It aligns closely with psychology’s emphasis on “emotional diversity.”
In fact, countries with high happiness ratings like Denmark have a concept called “hygge,” which cherishes imperfect, small moments in daily life. In other words, rather than forcing ourselves to laugh constantly, accepting our emotions as they are ultimately brings deeper satisfaction.
Lessons for Today
What this proverb teaches us modern people is “the courage to accept an imperfect life.” In modern society, being constantly positive and continuously successful tends to be considered good, but actual life is not so simple.
What’s important is not to be ashamed of having difficult times or to feel depressed by comparing yourself with others. If you are currently facing difficulties, that is a natural experience as a human being. People around you are also having similar experiences in places you can’t see.
Also, this proverb teaches us compassion for others. Even people who always seem bright surely have invisible struggles. By thinking this way, our understanding of others deepens, and we can build warmer human relationships.
Life has its mountains and valleys. But it’s because there are valleys that we can appreciate the beauty of mountains. Rather than pursuing perfect happiness, we should cherish the small joys of this moment while naturally accepting life’s waves. Such a way of living might be true richness.
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