Tuesday, February 03, 2004

Today was the Setsubun festival, which welcomes the coming of spring. In the past people would drive evil spirits away with the strong smell of burning dried sardine heads, the smoke of burning wood and the noise of drums.

Nowadays people throw beans around their house, or at temples and shrines. When people throw the beans they shout 'Oni wa soto! Fuku wa uchi!' ('Devils out, happiness in'). People should then eat the number of beans according to their age.

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