節分の日
"鬼は外、福は内、鬼は外、福は内!"
Today was a special day in Japan called Setsubun day, which means Bean-Throwing day. Today is the day before the first day of Spring, so it is a time to recognize the new season and chase away evil spirits for the new year. Families that have children often celebrate with the traditional bean throwing called mamemaki. One person dresses up as a demon, while everyone else throws roasted soy beans at him and shouts the above quote. It means, "demons stay out, happiness come inside!"
Another tradition in Western Japan is to eat a special maki roll (sushi) called eho-maki, which is uncut so the sushi is one long roll. You are supposed to eat it facing the lucky compass direction of the year, determined by the zodiac sign of the year. If you eat eho-maki on setsubun you are supposed to have good fortune in the coming year. So for school lunch today we were served the supplies to make our own little maki rolls.
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| Here is everything you need... |
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| Roll up your own sushi! |
That's so cool you got to roll your own maki rolls for setsubun. I had beans in my kyushoku that I threw out the door when I got home while saying the chant. Did you throw beans as well?
ReplyDeleteWell they included a little package of roasted soy beans in our kyushoku, but I didn't throw them, I ate them!
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