Happy Setsubun! (I don’t think people actually say that)
I’m stealing this holiday explanation from the Shizuoka Prefectural Government Facebook page that Mark admins because I am too lazy to write about it myself.
“Today is Setsubun, marking the day before the beginning of spring. On this day, households may participate in mamemaki, or bean-throwing, to cleanse away the evil of the previous year and drive away evil spirits. A family member, usually the father, puts on the mask of an oni, or demon, and the other family members throw beans at him saying, “Oni wa soto, fuku wa uchi” or “Demons out! Luck in!”
However, perhaps more popular now is the practice of eating ehoumaki - special uncut long rolled sushi. These sushi rolls are filled with seven ingredients and are meant to be eaten without saying a word while facing a particular direction. This year’s direction is NNW. Eating the ehoumaki in this way is said to bring luck for the following year.”
Last year I celebrated by throwing beans at an unsuspecting Mark when he came back from work. I have it on video somewhere, so if I find it I might put it up.
This year I made myself ehoumaki and just finished eating it facing NNW and not talking. My ehoumaki had fried shrimp, deep fried tofu, cucumber, carrot, daikon, spinach, and sweet basil. It was preeeeetttty yummy! Mark took pictures which I will upload soon!
