鏡餅

1. Origins, structure, and basic meaning

• Structure: 鏡餅(かがみもち) is a compound noun for a round rice-cake decoration used at New Year.
• Basic usage: It names something displayed in a home's decorative space or at a shop ahead of the New Year.

2. Common pitfalls and similar expressions

• Readings within the word
  • 鏡 is read かがみ and 餅 is read もち, combined into the word.
• Rice cakes and their purpose
  • Whereas 餅 broadly names rice cakes, 鏡餅 specifies their role as a New Year decoration.
  • 鏡餅を飾る means displaying the rice cakes as a decoration.