Setsubun Festival

A cactus, dolphins and a killer whale at home today

Still it’s freezing cold outside.
Our elder daughter Emi has gone to Tokyo and been living alone since almost one year ago at the time of her entrance to her college.

When the two daughters were living together with us here, we used to have Setsubun ritual in this season, early February.

But, this year our younger daughter Rina was too busy for her club activity and study to celebrate Setsubun. Another reason, of course, is we are just too lazy to do it. lol

Wearing Oni masks in 2009

 Setsubun literally means "seasonal division" or "the day between two seasons."

It's celebrated yearly on February 3 or 4 as a part of the Spring Festival.

Setsubun was accompanied by a special ritual called Mamemaki.

Holding Oni masks and soybeans

Roasted soybeans are thrown at a member of the family wearing an Oni (demon or ogre) mask.

The beans are thought to purify the home by driving away the evil spirits that bring misfortune and bad health with them.

Then, as a part of bringing luck in, we customary eat the same number of soybeans as our age.

Setsubun or The Day Between Two Seasons

Setsubun literally means "seasonal division" or "the day between two seasons."

But usually the term refers to the spring Setsubun, celebrated yearly on February 3 or 4 as a part of the Spring Festival.

Setsubun was accompanied by a special ritual to cleanse away all the evil and drive away disease-bringing evil spirits for the year to come.

This special ritual is called mamemaki.
Mamemaki is usually performed by the male who was born on the corresponding animal year on the Chinese zodiac, or the male head of the household.

Roasted soybeans are thrown either out the door or at a member of the family wearing an Oni (demon or ogre) mask, while the throwers chant "Oni wa soto! Fuku wa uchi!"
The literal meaning of the words is like "Demons out! Luck in!"

The beans are thought to symbolically purify the home by driving away the evil spirits that bring misfortune and bad health with them.

Then, as a part of bringing luck in, we customary eat the same number of soybeans as our age.