When to Buy New Year's Decorations (Shimekazari/Flowers) and When to Display Them: A Professional's Guide to Optimal Timing
Nov 04, 2025
New Year's Decorations (Shimenawa/Flowers): When to Buy? When to Display? A Pro Explains the Best Timing
With November here, it's that time of year when we start thinking about the year-end. In the midst of your busy schedule, have you started preparing your New Year's decorations?
At this time of year, many people wonder about the timing: "When is the right time to display New Year's decorations?" and "When should I buy shimenawa and flowers by?"
New Year's decorations are an important preparation for welcoming the god of the new year, "Toshigami-sama." As such, there are auspicious and inauspicious days according to Japanese tradition and customs.
In this article, &YOUKAEN, a professional in flowers and plants, will thoroughly and clearly explain the following three points:
1. The best (and worst) days to display New Year's decorations
2. A pro's advice on the smart timing to buy "shimenawa" and "flowers"
3. Why "online shopping" is recommended for a busy year-end
Starting with the conclusion: When is the right time to display New Year's decorations?
The best day is "December 28th"! Here's why.
The most auspicious day to start displaying New Year's decorations is "December 28th."
The reason is that the number "eight" (八) is considered lucky because its kanji character resembles a fan spreading out (末広がり), symbolizing prosperity.
Generally, it's considered ideal to finish Christmas on the 25th, complete a thorough cleaning on the 26th and 27th, and then prepare the purified space to welcome the gods on the 28th.
What are the "NG days" to absolutely avoid?
Conversely, there are two days that should absolutely be avoided when displaying New Year's decorations.
・NG①：December 29th The number "29" (二九) is considered very inauspicious as it sounds like "niju-ku" (二重苦, double hardship) or "ku" (苦, suffering).
・NG②：December 31st Displaying decorations on New Year's Eve is called "Ichiya-kazari" (一夜飾り, one-night decoration). This is traditionally frowned upon as preparation for welcoming the gods, as it resembles preparations for a funeral (ichiya-kazari) and is considered "insincere" or "rude."
Make sure to finish decorating by "December 30th" at the latest.
Even if you can't make it by the 28th, avoid the inauspicious 29th and 31st, and aim to finish decorating by "December 30th."
So, when is the smartest time to "buy" New Year's decorations?
Once you've decided when to display them, the next step is when to buy them. Here's a crucial point to remember.
Prepare by counting back from the display day (28th)
Once you've decided on the display day, the rule of thumb is to prepare by counting back to ensure everything is ready. However, there's a caveat here.
【Pro's TIP】"Shimenawa (dried goods)" and "New Year's Flowers (fresh flowers)" have different buying timings.
For "shimenawa" and paper decorations, which are dried goods, their quality doesn't change even if you buy them early, say, in early December.
However, New Year's flowers like "pine," "sennryo," and "chrysanthemums" are all fresh flowers, and their freshness is key. What happens if you buy them too early?
...That's right, by the crucial New Year's Day to the third day, the flowers will have wilted and lost their vibrancy.
From a florist's perspective, the best state for New Year's flowers is to be "most beautifully in bloom on New Year's Day." Therefore, buying them too early is actually a mistake.
Online Shopping (Online Stores) is the Smart Way to Buy Flowers in Busy December, as Taught by Florists.
"But it's difficult to go out and buy fresh flowers at just the right time during the busy year-end..."
The perfect solution to this "fresh flower timing problem" is online shopping (online stores) from specialty shops.
Reason 1: Eliminates the hassle of the busiest "shopping" period.
Year-end shopping is the most crowded time of the year. The time and effort spent waiting in line at crowded flower shops or supermarket checkouts in the cold can be completely eliminated.
Professionally selected flowers will be delivered right to your home.
Reason 2: Delivers flowers in their most beautiful state, timed for the day you want to display them.
This is the biggest advantage of online shopping (especially from specialty stores). With a specialty store like &YOUKAEN, we ship at the best timing so that the flowers arrive at your doorstep at the end of the year.
Furthermore, some flowers (e.g., lilies and plums) are intentionally sent in bud form so that they bloom fully on New Year's Day.
This is the professional technique of timing the peak freshness of the flowers to coincide with the most important "New Year's" period. This prevents the mistake of buying too early.
Reason 3: You can choose high-quality, stylish designs unique to specialty stores.
Instead of the uniform products sold at supermarkets, you can choose high-quality and stylish New Year's flowers designed by professional florists, suitable for welcoming the new year.
The difference is clear at a glance. We use flowers hand-picked by florists, so the freshness is also superior.
【＆YOUKAEN】Year-End Delivery! 3 New Year's Flower Gifts to Reserve Now to Adorn Your New Year
We present 3 New Year's flower gifts from &YOUKAEN that we confidently recommend and that you should reserve now.
Please consider them.
① Brilliant Gold Luck Yellow! Vase-Free Arrangement "Zuikou"
A luxurious design featuring pine and cymbidium (orchids), based on auspicious yellow (for increased financial luck).
Most importantly, it's an "arrangement" type that can be displayed immediately after taking it out of the box, so you don't need to worry about a vase.
It's also perfect as a year-end gift for busy individuals or those living far away.
Arrangement "Zuikou" to welcome a fresh New Year
¥9,900-
② Tradition and Modernity. Bouquet "HANA Temari" with Pom-Pom Chrysanthemums
Pine for "longevity," sennryo for "business prosperity," and chrysanthemums for "warding off evil spirits."
This bouquet uses traditional auspicious floral materials while being modernized with cute, round "pom-pom chrysanthemums."
Recommended for those who want to enjoy both tradition and design in a vase at home.
Bouquet "HANA Temari" to welcome a fresh New Year
¥6,600-
③ Gentle and Modern Arrangement "Zuirei" that Blends with Western-Style Rooms
An arrangement based on soft pink, blending well with Western-style living rooms and modern interiors.
This one is also "vase-free" and can easily brighten up your New Year's space. Its refined design makes it a delightful gift for those with good taste.
Arrangement "Zuirei" to welcome a fresh New Year
¥9,900-
▼ Order Early! Deadline for Year-End Delivery
To ensure delivery by New Year's, the deadline for year-end orders at &YOUKAEN is "until December 25th (Thursday)." (Please check the website for the exact deadline.)
Popular New Year's designs sell out quickly, so please reserve yours early!
Trivia: When is the right time to put away New Year's decorations?
Finally, as a piece of trivia, we'll also explain "when to put them away."
It is customary to display them until "Matsu no Uchi."
New Year's decorations are put away after the period called "Matsu no Uchi" (the period when the Toshigami-sama, or New Year's god, resides).
Often January 7th in Kanto, and January 15th in Kansai
This "Matsu no Uchi" period varies by region, commonly until January 7th in Kanto and until January 15th (Ko-shōgatsu, or Little New Year) in Kansai.
Please follow the customs of your region of residence.
Take removed decorations to "Dondo-yaki" with gratitude.
For decorations like shimenawa, it is a polite custom to take them to a shrine's "Dondo-yaki" (Sagicho) event to be ritually burned with gratitude.
Flower arrangements and bouquets can be disposed of as burnable waste.
Summary
Did this resolve your questions about "when" for New Year's decorations?
1. The best day to display New Year's decorations is "December 28th."
2. Absolutely avoid the "NG days": "29th (suffering)" and "31st (one-night decoration)."
3. Freshness is key for "New Year's fresh flowers." Reserving and purchasing through online shops that professional florists deliver to you at the end of the year is the smartest and most reliable choice to ensure they bloom beautifully on New Year's Day.
Welcome a refreshing and beautiful New Year with &YOUKAEN's stylish New Year's flowers.
