Why Do Japanese Kids Get Rich in January? (The “Otoshidama” Rules)

In the US, kids get toys for Christmas. In Japan, they get something even better on New Year’s Day: Cold, hard cash. This tradition is called “Otoshidama.” Relatives (grandparents, uncles, and aunts) give money to children. For Japanese kids, January is the most profitable month of the year, sometimes collecting hundreds of dollars in total!