2/3...setsubun

February 3rd was Setsubun, the first day of spring according to the luny lunar calendar. On this day, the Japanese have wild bean fights. They wear these masks (as above) to represent the devil or bad spirits...then others pelt the devil with dried soybeans while shouting "oni wa soto!!!" which means, "out with the devil, you!" Then they say, "fuku wa uchi!!!" meaning, "in with good luck and fortune."

Usually the bean throwing escalates into full out war...my bean fight resulted in beans down my shirt, pants, in my nostrils and more. (er, don't ask) When I went to sit down, I heard a big crunch and felt something not unlike a stinging insect bite on my thigh, only to find that a soybean had gotten caught in my jeans. Ouch.

Also, on the night of Setsubun people eat maki sushi...big fat sushi rolls. I asked them if it was tradition...most just chuckled. I was told that in fact maki sushi is a relatively recent tradition spawned and promoted by the sushi industry, retailers, and others alike. Oh, I almost forgot one crucial part - you must eat the same number of soybeans as your age on Setsubun day. As for why - umm, beats me?! Can anyone explain why?

The best fun is finding beans the next day, days after that, and even months later. (see picture for the bean fight aftermath) A dream for those with a no-second rule on food that has been dropped. ^_^ Like back home, in Japan they have a 3-second rule about dropped food.

Though generally a holiday reserved for younger kids (elementary school and younger...most older kids feel embarrassed by it), I plan on celebrating for as long as I remember. It's a great excuse to pelt your loved ones and vent out any built up frustration. Last year we wanted to celebrate but all the convenience stores were sold out of beans. I was so let down and bought jelly beans as a substitute but it just wasn't the same...