Japanese New Year traditions, the 108 bell chimes

The New Year is greeted in Japan with 108 bell chimes, a ceremony called Joya no Kane - 除夜の鐘. At the temples with big and famous bells, Joya no Kane is one of the largest and most spectacular Buddhist ceremonies, because the suspended beam that rings the bell is spectacularly operated by especially trained teams.

Like most of the Japanese traditions, this ceremony has also a deep spiritual meaning. According to Buddhist beliefs, 108 is the number of delusions holding us back in the cycle of suffering, and the 108 bell chimes are a purification from the sufferings accumulated in the past year...