It's hard to say when the custom began, but there are many tales telling how it began. One of them said it got spread from a poor farmer's family. One year, terrible famine took place and many people died of hunger. It was the New Year's Eve when the farmer's family had nothing to cook. And they were even out of firewood. All the family members were too hungry to fall asleep at the New Year's Eve. Just when they thought hard in vain, there came the sound of drum telling the high point of a new year had come. And at the moment both the daughter－in－laws hinted to each other to make a joke over their husbands' poor father； so the elder daughter－in－law said first to him, "Father, what shall we have for the first meal of the New Year？" The old man was quite ready to answer, "gold cornu." "And what shall we have to burn in order to boil the gold cornu？" the younger daughter－in－law asked. "Of course, gold bars." That was the answers of the humorous father. But he wouldn't stop the joke here. So he ordered the two daughter－in－laws: "Go and cook by the recipe I just ordered, would you？" This time both the daughter－in－laws were cornered badly. How could they cook such a meal！ Finally they thought of an idea. "Well, I'll wipe off what is left in the flour jar and you have to get some frozen vegetables in the garden." So they managed to make some cornu－like food. "But what about firewood？" the other asked worriedly. "That is easy. Parts of the fence in the garden will do." So the first breakfast of the year was being made like that.