Setsubun Festival

"Oni wa soto! Fuku wa uchi!", the Japanese way of greeting the best of the fortunes to life and driving away the evils out of the life. Setsubun Festival, the occasion which marks the beginning of the a new season in Japan, marks the beginning of the Spring season in the land in the month of February. Usually the term used to describe the commencement of the Spring in Japan is Spring Setsubun or it is also referred to as Risshun or the day before the start of a new season. The Setsubun is celebrated all across Japan on February 3 or February 4 in accordance with the Lunar New Year.

The celebration of Setsubun is characterized by the flinging out heated soybeans out of the windows by the head of the family. While doing so everyone chants "Oni wa soto! Fuku wa uchi!" which literally means 'drive out the demons and bring home the better fortunes'. The beans which are thrown out symbolizes the purification of the home.

The legend behind this ritual narrates the story of a famed Buddhist monk of the Heian era drove away Oni (devils or evil spirits in Japan) by simply throwing beans on them. From then onwards Setsubun is celebrated all around the country including Tokyo. Every Buddhist temples and Shinto shrines in the country celebrates this grand event with deep devoutness. Priests and the invited guests participate in the event by lending a hand in throwing the roasted beans some even wrapped in silver and golden foils, small envelopes with money, sweets, candies and other prizes in the temples.

Even the celebrities take active role in this grand occasion by throwing the beans. Some of the famous celebrities including some Sumo wresters join in the celebration. The atmosphere becomes electrifying with the sort of crowd gathering to collect the beans outside the temples and the shrines. The frenzied behavior draws loads of tourists as well from all over to the festivals.

As the custom beckons, the locals eat the number of beans one more than their age to bring in the good luck for the year to come as well. Families use fish heads and holly leaves to decorate their houses so as to drive away the evil spirits.

It is also customary to eat uncut maki-zushi on Setsubun at the time of facing the yearly lucky compass direction. Praepared charts are available in the market along with unspoiled maki-zushi in the months of February.

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