Setsubun
February 3 · Level 8 · #545 of 2238
Setsubun marks the eve of spring in Japan’s traditional calendar. Its rituals symbolically chase away misfortune and welcome good luck into the home, with roasted soybeans playing a surprisingly important role.
How it is celebrated: people scatter beans in a custom called mamemaki, calling for demons to leave and good fortune to enter. Temples hold public ceremonies, and households eat beans corresponding to their age, sometimes adding one more; long ehomaki sushi rolls are another familiar food.
Setsubun means a division between seasons. The term once applied to several seasonal transitions before the spring observance became the best known.