御節料理 / Kechi Osechi: Osechi Ryori for Cheapos

御節料理是日本在節日時所做的特殊料理，特別是在過年時的主要料理，所以又稱正月料理，通常也只說「御節、おせち」即可。在日本有人日、上巳節、端午節、七夕、重陽節等五大節日，在這些日子都有推出御節料理的習慣，意指五穀豐收，全家平安健康的祈福~

Welcoming the New Year is a big deal for most Japanese people, and one of the many New Year traditions is eating osechi ryori , a Heian-era practice that still survives today. Traditionally, it was taboo to cook during the first three days of the new year, so housewives would prepare food that could last that long (remember, there were no refrigerators back then).

御節本來是指一些季節（節氣）轉換時的主要節日。這些節日會有些慶祝活動與慶祝的料理，日本人將這些料理當作是個幸運的緣起，所以這些為了慶典而做的食膳就叫做「御節料理」。日本的過年，是自古以來認為要呼喚已回到山裡的田神所要慶祝的重大節慶。在現代還保有一般的風俗習慣之固定慶典只剩下過年。所以，在現代御節料理已大多是指會在除夕都先做好，為了跨年後的正月料理而已。

With each dish carrying an auspicious meaning (prosperity, long life, and so on), the dishes would be artfully arranged in two- to five-tier lacquered boxes called jubako. Most osechi nowadays come in two or three tiers.