Kyoto, Japan.
This is a good Shimenawa-Kazari, Japanese new year's ornament.
We put Shimenawa-Kazari on the entrance door around new year season.
(After winter solstice to January 7)
Do not display this ornament inside of an entrance or each room's door.
Out side only. Because this is a strong barrier.
Bad spirits hate Shimenawa-Kazari especially red things and thorn plants and they never invade a home or apartment's room.
Citrus and rice straw absorb evils like a vacuum machine.
On the other hand, sacred nature gods can visit the ornament especially on thorn plants.
If you are in Japan, order true Shimenawa-Kazari on Amazon.
Or you will find Shimenawa-Kazari at every super market in Japan.
But these are unsatisfactory to get good effects.
Citrus, red color things, rice straw and thorn plants are important 4.
Citrus means the Sun. Lemon, lime and an artificial plastic orange ball is also OK.
Shimenawa-Kazari's citrus and rice straw absorbs evils very well.
So, do not touch your Shimenawa-Kazari after displaying.
When you dispose the ornament, use work-gloves.
We burn Shimenawa-Kazari at Shinto shrine after use.
Do not burn it in your garden.
Do not display used Shimenawa-Kazari in your house.
Because it is already very dirty.
Use---dispose---new replacement..this process is important in Shinto.
Japan is a country of full of trees and water. It means an eternal circulation.
Every year, I make Shimenawa-Kazari by myself.
Because I can’t find the ornament in US.
This is not a perfect style but it is enough for me.
I bought a bunch of green branches at Trader Joe's (Holiday greens bunch $4.99)
and put some on the wreath.
Please don't hammer a nail into Shimenawa-Kazari.
Shimenawa-Kazari and Kadomatsu are for entrance door.
This culture of entrance ornament with red things and Japanese red gate,"Torii" of Shinto shrine were derived from Passover(Pesach).
Japanese still have the culture that old Hebrews left in Japan long time ago.
To avoid bad events, ancient Hebrews painted entrance with animal blood.
Red torii also prevents evils.
Evils hate red things in entrance indeed.
Red or wine red painted door is also good.
Jewish Mezuzah is more effective.
But it is too strong to use.
It is a kind of making a strict contract with the item.
So, you don't have to buy it if you are not a Jewish.
Japanese Shimenawa-Kazari is not a contract.
Everyone can use it for your future luck.
You can find big Shimenawa-Kazari-like ornament at Japanese shrines.
That big twisted rope is Shimenawa of Shrine.
Shimenawa is absolutely sacred item to protect inside.
It means a shape of DNA and copulation of snakes.
In old ancient time, there were no shrine architectures in Japan,
but Japanese people felt some high-sacred points of nature.
There were nature god's place.
People put ropes in front of each sacred nature points to prevent people's invasion.
Generally speaking, nature gods dislike human's rude attitude for nature
and meaningless visit without respect.
Some strict nature gods hate human's visit even they have respect.
People should to think that sacred places or vortex are very delicate thing like nature's private parts.
Human have to respect nature not just enjoying.Your attitude is watched by all nature gods.
Later, shrine architectures were created each high-sacred points.
In Japanese mythology, Shimenawa was used as enclosing rope just after the Sun goddess returned from a cave.
After she came back from the cave,other gods enclosed the cave to try not to hide her again.
There are many styles of Shimenawa-kazari.
Mie prefecture's Somin-Shorai style is the best Shimenawa-Kazari.
People display it on the entrance throughout the year.
When citrus goes rotten, they replace it many times and
in end of the year, people buy a whole new Shimenawa-Kazari again for next year.
This is also good.
Shimenawa-Kazari and kadomatsu ornaments needed to be burned at local Shinto shrine after use.
Any shrine is OK. If they have an exclusive boxes for disposal.
But you can throw them away as garbage if you can't visit shrine.