Hey everyone! It's the end of January, and I thought I talk a little bit about a day called 節分(Setsubun), or 'Seasonal Division', happening on the 3rd of February.
It's the day before the beginning of the spring, and we celebrate it by doing something called 豆まき(Mame maki), or 'bean throwing'.
The oldest male in the household (or headmale... usually fathers or grandfathers if they're up for it) wear a 鬼(oni) demon mask, while the rest of the household throws 福豆(Fuku mame) 'fortune beans', which are roasted dry soybeans, at the masked-man, chanting: 鬼は外、福は内(Oni wa soto, fuku wa uchi) 'Demon out, luck in".
The demon is chased out of the house this way, and once the demon is banished, everybody in the household eats the beans. The amount varies from person to person, as you are only meant to eat the same amount as your age.
This is mainly done in households with younger children and kindergartens, as it is a fun activity for the children. Around this day, children usually spend time making masks of demons for displays or for their fathers to wear. It is supposed to drive the bad things out of the house and bringing good luck in for the coming spring.
It was the highlight of my kindergarten days, as one of the teachers would dress up as a scary demon. It was usually the teacher we didn't like, so you can imagine why throwing the beans at them would be entertaining Ψ(｀▽´)Ψ
Anyway, this is the end of my post. I'm not sure if there are roasted soybeans available in your area, but if you can find them, it's certainly recommended that you try... it's fun (for everybody, but especially the kids) as long as you tidy up the beans you throw on the floor （*^_^*）
It's a good way to start the spring, in my opinion anyway ♡
Have a nice weekend, and see you next Friday!!
