Osechi is Japanese food made to celebrate the coming of the New Year, called "Shogatsu". It is one of the most important annual events in Japan. "Osechi" food is packed in colorful lacquer boxes called "jubako". Each dish and ingredient in "osechi" has a meaning, such as good health, fertility, good harvest, happiness, long life, and so on. The kind of "osechi" foods eaten in Japanese homes varies from area to area. It is a Japanese tradition to eat "osechi" dishes during the New Year's holidays which go from January 1 to January 3.