Monthly Pick Up
Setsubun (Bean-Throwing Festival or Bean-Throwing Ceremony) is the day before the beginning of spring in Japan. It traditionally falls on Feb 3rd. Setsubun was previously thought of as New Year's Eve. People celebrate Setsubun with a special ritual to cleanse away all the evil of the former year and drive away disease-bringing evil spirits. This special ritual is called mamemaki.
In the custom of Mamemaki, roasted soybeans are thrown either out the door or at a member of the family wearing an Oni (demon or ogre) mask, while the people say "Demons out! Luck in!" (Oni wa soto! Fuku wa uchi!). By doing so, the evil spirits that bring misfortune and bad health with them will be driven out of the house while good luck will be brought in for the new year. In addition, it is also a custom to eat the same number of beans as one’s age plus one more for good luck.
日本では「節分」-豆まき祭りとも言う-は春の訪れの前の日と考えられています。伝統的に2月3日がその日です。昔は、節分は大晦日と考えられていました。人々は、前の年のすべての邪悪を清め、病をもたらす弊害を追い払う特別の儀式で節分を祝います。この特別の儀式が豆まきです。豆まきの習慣では、煎った豆粒をドアの外へ撒くか、鬼の格好をした家の人に投げつけます。その間、皆「鬼は外、福は内」と叫びます。そうすることによって、不幸や病気を運ぶ邪悪を家の外へ追い出し、新しい年の幸運を家の中に呼び込みます。ちなみに、幸運を呼ぶものとして、自分の年齢と同じ数にもう一つを加えた数の豆を食べるのも節分の習慣です
