Japan’s Setsubun Festival is a traditional bean-throwing festival held on February 3 every year.
Setsubun in Japanese means “secretory”, often used to refer to the day before the start of a season, here is the spring. Although not considered a national holiday, the Setsubun bean throwing festival to ward off demons is still widely held in temples and pagodas of Japan on February 3 every year, this festival is very popular by the tourists
Although not considered a national holiday, the Setsubun festival is still widely held in temples and pagodas in Japan. Parents across the country often wear Oni masks to scare their children. The kids will throw soy beans in masks to chase away demons. In addition, the Japanese also eat the number of soybeans corresponding to their age plus 1 more to have good luck in the new year.
The customs required in Japanese Setsubun festival
– Sumo wrestler:
At some of the larger temples, during Japan’s Setsubun festival even celebrities and Sumo wrestlers are invited, which will be broadcast across the country.
– Ehomaki seaweed roll sushi:
As the name of a kind of Norimaki – seaweed roll sushi is very popular and easy to make. Some people believe that the custom of eating Ehomaki for Setsubun’s dinner date appeared in Kansai during the Edo period.
Norimaki is usually cut into slices to taste, so Ehomaki is left with a long roll because it is thought that cutting Ehomaki will affect the luck of the new year.
Like many home-made dishes, its ingredients vary widely and depend on each person’s taste. A traditional Ehomaki roll requires 7 different types of fillings. These 7 kinds of causes will symbolize Shichifukujin – 7 lucky gods. Some popular ingredients used to make eomom for Ehomaki are Shiitake mushrooms, Kanpyo, cucumbers, Tamagoyaki, eels, Sakura Denbu, Kouyadofu dried tofu … symbolizing health, happiness and prosperity.
When eating Ehomaki, an indispensable item is a compass. Traditionally facing Eho, the lucky direction of that year. It is said that if you do so and focus on your wishes while eating Ehomaki, it will help bring good luck for the next year. And it is also very important to try to be quiet from start to finish, or else your luck will disappear when you speak.