“Sechi” refers to the milestones in life, including New Year’s Day, the Peach Festival in March, the Iris Festival in May, the Tanabata Festival, and the Chou-you Festival. During these festivals, delicious food harvested during that time is offered to the gods.
Afterward, the leftover food is enjoyed and shared among the people during the festivities.
One of the most famous milestones is Oshogatsu, where we eat Osechi cuisine. The meaning of Osechi-ryori is that the gods are the first to eat the food served on New Year’s Day, and therefore, Japanese people do not eat Osechi-ryori on December 31st. Eating Osechi on that day is considered bad luck, so it’s avoided.