Today is the day called risshun in Japan, the beginning of spring. (But spring has come just on calendar, it’s very very cold today.)
And day on which season changes (on calendar) is called setsubun.
Yesterday we hold the setsubun event.
If people from overseas saw the event, they though it very outlandish.
Before the event at the night, we put the creepy decoration at the gate or the door.
Japanese angelica tree with prickles, pittosporum, and the head of sardine.
It’s put to protect a house from oni which is a imaginal monster bring disaster and adversity. Its skin is red or blue, and has horns of bull and claws of tiger. Prickles of tree and a sharp smell of leaves and sardine kept oni away from their house.
At the night, we throw soybeans outward at the door to drive away oni saying the words ” oni-wa-soto! (oni, go away!)”
We also throw beans in a room saying “fuku-wa-uchi! (Happiness, come in!)”
A tapestry describing the setsubun event.
Like a girl with a otafuku mask(a mask of a funny face, lucky charm) does, If you ate as many roasted soybeans as the number of your age on the setsubun day, you could live a healthy life for a year.
Nyagoo′s eyes aiming at a bean!
Thank you for reading!
The Beginning of Spring – JAPANESE HOUSEWIFE
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