Setsubun

Setsubun, or “That Bean-Throwing Festival,” celebrates the beginning of spring in Japan. Celebrated yearly on February 3 as part of the Spring Festival, its association with the Lunar New Year makes this festival a sort of New Year’s Eve. A special ritual accompanies this association to cleanse away the evil of the previous year and drive away evil spirits for the year to come. This unique ritual is called mamemaki, literally “bean throwing.” Mamemaki The toshiotoko of the household performs the custom of Mamemaki. The Toshiotoko is a male born on the corresponding year of the Chinese zodiac or the male head of household. Roasted soybeans are thrown either out the door or at a family member wearing an Oni (demon) mask, while the people say, “Demons out! Luck in!” (Oni wa soto! Fuku wa uchi!?) and slam the door. This is no longer a common practice in households anymore, but many people will attend a shrine or temple’s spring festival instead, where a similar ceremony is performed. The beans symbolically purify the home by driving away the evil spirits that bring misfortune and bad health. It is also customary to eat roasted soybeans, one for each year of one’s…