Yesterday was the Setsubun and we had Eho-maki. You are supposed to eat a whole sushi-roll facing to the lucky direction and you could be healthy and lucky through the year. I don’t know why this Eho-maki event has become so popular in all over Japan? You didn’t have it at least 40 years ago, I think. I mean they had had this traditional event in some districts but not nationally. Now, it becomes like a Christmas cake at the Christmas!
In the following pictures, you might feel disgusting, sorry!! However, it’s fun to eat bad manner once in a while? I think that’s why the Eho-maki have become so popular now. These bloggers posted about same topics. 1 2
Also, we did Mame-maki. Tatsu enjoyed throwing beans all over the rooms, and on the other hand, Momo were busy picking them up and throwing into… her mouth!
Setsubun
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
In Japan, Setsubun (節分) is the day before the beginning of each season. The name literally means “seasonal division”, but usually the term refers to the spring Setsubun, properly called Risshun (立春) celebrated yearly on February 3 as part of the Spring Festival (春祭, haru matsuri). In its association with the Lunar New Year, Spring Setsubun can be thought of (and was previously thought of) as a sort of New Year’s Eve, and so was accompanied by a special ritual to cleanse away all the evil of the former year and drive away disease-bringing evil spirits for the year to come. This special ritual is called mamemaki (豆撒き, lit. bean scattering).
Mamemaki
Mamemaki is usually performed by the toshiotoko (年男) of the household (i.e., the male who was born on the corresponding animal year on the Chinese zodiac), or else the male head of the household. Roasted soybeans (called irimame 炒り豆) are thrown either out the door or at a member of the family wearing an Oni (demon or ogre) mask, while the throwers chant “Oni wa soto! Fuku wa uchi!” (鬼は外! 福は内!). The words roughly translate to “Demons out! Luck in!” The beans are thought to symbolically purify the home by driving away the evil spirits that bring misfortune and bad health with them. Then, as part of bringing luck in, it is customary to eat roasted soybeans, one for each year of one’s life, and in some areas, one for each year of one’s life plus one more for bringing good luck for the year to come.
