Setsubun

is the day before the beginning of Spring in Japan.

## Custom

***Setsubun*** is a traditional event in Japan and it celebrates the end of winter and the beginning of spring. It takes place on February 2, 3, or 4 and there are a lot of ways to celebrate the day. People take part in a traditional _mame-maki_ ceremony. People throw roasted soybeans (_mame_) and shout ‘‘_Oni wa Soto Fuku wa Uti_’’(Get out Ogre! Come in Happiness!). After the ceremony, each person eats the number of beans of their year of age in order to get happiness in the coming year. Another traditional custom is putting a head of a sardine and _hiiragi_ on the door to get rid of _Oni_ (ogre). In addition, people living in the _Kansai_ area eat _Nori Maki_ (a special _sushi_ roll) while facing the ‘’lucky direction’’ and not saying a word .

## Origin

***Setsubun*** means “division of the seasons” in the literal sense. In ancient times the beginning of each season was called ***Setsubun***. On the ***Setsubun*** day, various rituals were conducted to drive away devil’s sprits. Nowadays, however, ***Setsubun*** only refers to _Risshun_ (beginning of spring) because the day is the most important than the other ***Setsubun*** day since the day is a new year’s day in lunar calendar.It is said that both of beans and rice have spiritual power in it, and to throw these things is a good way to drive demons from our own and our house. People used to throw rice in ancient time, but people started to throw beans instead of rice since Chinese folkway was introduced. Since then, people throw beans to drive demons on ***Setsubun*** day.
As we said above, people usually eat an _Ehomaki_, which is a kind of _makizushi_, on ***Setsubun***. _Makizushi_ means “call over happiness”. It is usually eaten without being cut because if it is cut, it implies “break up”. People usually put 7 kinds of ingredients in it after the Seven Gods of Fortune.
It is eaten without saying anything. Generally, it’s because it would be rude to the Seven Gods of Fortune if people are talking while it is eaten, but anyone doesn’t know the fact.

## History

"***Setsubun***" means separating seasons, and indicated each day before the first day of spring, summer, autumn and winter.
However, the event "***Setsubun***" is very famous, so it became the word to indicate the day before the first day of spring
only.
***Setsubun*** was a ceremony to drive off ancient China and gods who brought misfortune. Originally, it was the folk event
to hope talisman and good crop of private sector. This ceremony came down to Japan in the _Nara_ era.
In the _Hiean_ era, _Tsuina_ that the event of New Year's Eve held in the palace, changed into the ceremony to drive demons.
It died out in the _Muromachi_ era, but the event gradually spread among commoner and remained as _Mamemaki_ of ***Setsubun***.
In the evening of ***Setsubun***, people set up branches of holly with sardine at the entrance of house, and scatter parched beans.
However, nowadays households which adorn with them decreased, and only scatter parched beans.
In the meantime, _Ehomaki_ started as a custom to pray for the prosperous business at the harbor of _Osaka_ in the end of _Edo_ era. The custom died out temporarily, but _Osaka Nori Kyodo Kumiai_ revived it in the event of _Dotonbori_ in the late 1970's. Therefore, it was famous in the _Kansai_ district. Also, it began to sell in the part of supermarkets and convenience stores in 1990's. In addition, it became rapidly popular among the whole country because _Ehomaki_ was advertised considerably in stores.

## Related events

There many events related to ***Setsubun*** in big shrines. For example, _Narita-san Shinsho-ji_ in _Chiba_ holds big events every year. Some believers of _Toshi-otoko_ (a man who was born in a year with the same sign of the Chinese Zodiac as the current year.) or big names are invited to the event and they perform _mame-maki_ ceremony to gather people. Because of the bad economy in Japan, these events are crowed with a lot of people who try to call in happiness.