Setsubun
In Japan, Setsubun festival is celebrated on February 3 or 4, a day before spring begins based on the Japanese lunar calendar. However, Setsubun is not a national holiday.
For many centuries, Japanese people have been practicing their tradition with the aim of chasing away evil spirits when the spring begins.
During the 13th century, it became a tradition to keep away evil spirits using the strong smell of dried heads of sardine, the smoke of burned woods and the sound of drums. During the time that this tradition is not anymore popular, some people still decorate the front doors of their house with fish heads and holy tree leaves to block the evil spirits.
Today, the most well-known Setsubun practice is the throwing of roasted beans throughout one’s house and as well as in temples and shrines all around the country.in throwing of beans, the person is generally assumed to shout “Oni wa soto! Fuku wa uchi!” which means “Devils out, happiness in.” Later, the person should pick up and eat the number of beans relative to the person’s age. Finally, Setsubun is celebrated in many distinctions as all traditional festivals across the country.
Y. Yoshida