Bonenkai: Should we forget the year or forget the party?

Sometimes, you might get to the end of a year and be glad it’s over. And it seems that whoever coined the term 忘年会 (bōnenkai) shared that sentiment, as the three kanji individually mean 忘 (bō), forget; 年 (nen, toshi), year; and 会 (kai), party or meet-up.

See my latest language piece for the Japan Times here (behind paywall):

https://www.japantimes.co.jp/life/2023/12/08/language/japanese-language-bonenkai-yearend-parties/