24th Annual Japanese New Year Bell Ringing Ceremony December 31, 2009

Thursday, December 31, 2009, 10:00 am–2:00 pm: Art Activities; 11:00 am: Bell Ringing Ceremony
FREE with museum admission, Children 12 and under always admitted free!

Say goodbye to 2009 with family and friends...by taking a swing at a giant temple bell! Bring your loved ones to the Asian Art Museum and literally "ring in" the New Year, Japanese-style. Everyone is invited to participate in the auspicious Japanese tradition of striking a temple bell. This popular event offers the community a memorable opportunity to reflect peacefully upon the passing year.

A 2100-lb., sixteenth-century Japanese bronze bell originally from a temple in Japan and now part of the museum's permanent collection will be struck 108 times with a large custom-hewn log. According to Japanese custom, this symbolically welcomes the New Year and curbs the 108 bonno (mortal desires) which, according to Buddhist belief, torment humankind. It is hoped that with each reverberation the bad experiences, wrong deeds, and ill luck of the past year will be wiped away. Thus, tolling heralds the start of a joyous, fresh New Year.

There will be a short performance of Japanese folk songs preceding the ceremony. Then, Zen Buddhist priest Gengo Akiba Roshi will conduct a blessing and begin the bell ringing. Hands-on art activities are offered in the education studios to entertain families while waiting for their turn at the bell. Guests will also have the opportunity to enjoy the special exhibition, Emerald Cities: Arts of Siam and Burma.

Tickets
Numbered tickets to ring the bell are assigned to visitors on a first-come, first-serve basis in South Court beginning at 10:00 am, when the museum opens to the public. No advance reservations are accepted. 108 groups of four to six people will be assembled to strike the bell.

Official Website: http://www.asianart.org/bellringing.htm