Setsubun literally means “dividing season” and it is the day before a new season starts based on the traditional East Asian lunisolar calendar. There is a setsubun for each season, but when we talk about setsubun, we usually mean the Spring one. According to the lunisolar calendar, setsubun for spring 2019 is on February 3rd. We throw soybeans on Setsubun as we say out loud “out with the demon and in with fortune (鬼は外、福は内)”. This bean-throwing ceremony is called mamemaki (豆まき) and is carried out in many places from individual households to local shrines. It started in Japan as a symbolic gesture to get rid of evil spirits because people have believed for centuries that such spirits are released whenever the season changes. At home an adult in the family (usually the father) puts on a demon mask on and runs inside the house. Then the kids will then throw soybeans to chase him out of the house.
