お年玉は、正月に、両親やあいさつに訪れた親戚などが子供に与えるお金です。元は正月に神に捧げた餅などを、改めて神から賜わったものとして各自に分け与えたことから生まれた習慣だといわれています。近年では子供の数の減少とともに、１人当たりに与えるお年玉の金額が高額化しています。この時期には出費の多い両親が、子供にお金を借りたくなったとしても不思議ではないほどです。

Otoshidama is money that parents, relatives and etc give children in new year greeting. This is its history that many years ago people dedicated rice cake called mochi to the god on new year, and then they ate it because they believed that the mochi had been given them from the god. the amount of money given a child is gradually increasing lately in order to decline a number of children. So, parents have to spend in this season want their children to borrow maney, but it's not wonder.