Setsubun

Setsubun is a bean throwing festival celebrated on February 3 or 4, in which people throw beans at oni, which are ogre-like demons that are supposed to cast evil on you. Traditionally only the eldest son of each family was supposed to throw the beans. Many people visit shrines to witness the throwing of the soybeans by the monks. An immense crowd also visits shrines to see celebrities, such as sumo wrestlers, throwing the beans. Another important Setsubun custom is hanging a hiragi branch and a sardine head at your door. The sharp branch, in combination with the odorous sardine head, is supposed to keep any evil from entering.

The soybeans thrown at Setsubun are associated with luck and superstition. If you are one of the unlucky ages for your gender, you can regain that luck by wrapping soybeans and coins in white paper, then thssrowing the bundle away at a crossroad. Another superstition is if you eat three beans at the first thunderstorm of the year, you will not be struck by lightning for the rest of the year.

By Jeffrey

May, 2000

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