Setsubun marks the day before the official start of spring. It is recognized on February 3rd by... bean-throwing!
In shops and homes, people toss roasted soybeans into the air while chanting "Out with evil, in with good fortune!" The idea is to chase away bad things and invite good things in.
In a family with young children, the father may wear a Devil or Goblin mask while the children throw beans at him - just for fun of course!
Some of the shops in our neighborhood had window displays, such as this one at a shop called Blue and White:
It is said that, after tossing the beans in your home, you should eat the number of beans that corresponds with your age, to invite good health for the coming year.
Friday morning in my neighborhood, shops were busy preparing for Setsubun. I bought some roasted soybeans - we enjoyed them but I confess we didn't keep careful count of how many we ate!
I sent some beans to Noelle in college, but I wonder how she'll feel about the idea of tossing beans up in the air in her dorm room!
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