Yesterday, February 3rd, was setsubun.
Setsubun is not a national holiday, but it is a "festival" day that marks a seasonal transition - namely, the coming of spring; and spring can bring with it many demons! And so on setsubun, people (especially kids - it's become more of a kid festival nowadays), throw beans around their house while shouting "Oni wa soto, Fuku wa uchi" (Demons out! Good luck in!). After throwing the beans (which chase out the evil spirits) you are supposed to pick up and eat the number of beans that reflects your age.
We didn't throw beans or try to chase out the demons - but we still hope that this year will bring good luck and happiness.
But...um...maybe we should have thrown the beans - just in case:-)
3 comments:
Dear Tracy,
I saw your Brog concerning "Setsubun".
I also wrote the article on "Setsubun".
May I paste the link to your article?
By the way,
I welcomes the point, if there is a strange expression,because my English
is poor.
I think you should have thrown the beans, but only if they were good tasting beans and you could cook them with a little bacon and put them on a shingle to eat them. Can you imagine the poor centenarian who has to throw beans? Did you know that Japan has more centenarians than any other G8 nation?
Perhaps you should have thrown the beans ... after all, to us you are "the Kids"!
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