February 3rd, bean throwing day!!!

OUT with the demons, IN with happiness!!! Oni wa sotto; fuku wa uchi! This

is what one shouts on Setsubun day. It is a day much like Halloween once was, predominantly used to drive out evil spirits using scary masks. In Japan's case, they get physical and drive out spirits by pegging them with dried soybeans!

At home one is supposed to throw the beans outside and say that key phrase. (sometimes a parent dons the scary mask, pretending to be the devil while children attack him) Then they are to eat the same number of beans as their current age. Which means...26 for me this year - no so bad. One should also buy some holly and stick remaining sardine heads on it at the door entrance at night, along with a clove of garlic or head of onion. Only in Kansai people eat thick sushi rolls, futomaki-sushi...though it is becoming more and more commercial even in parts of Kanto area.

You can imagine why I love this holiday. Things that children like, I like! It involves many projectiles and funny faces...now you get the picture, huh?! Last year the event ended with me, beans up my nose, soybeans crushed on the floor, soybean bits in my trousers, and a whole soybean left in my underwear..until I sat down and experienced a sudden, sharp, excruciating pain of the soybean crushing. We will spend the holiday with his mom this year so I expect the event to be much more civil. Ha ha.