The setsubun festival is a beginning of season festival, but the term generally refers to the spring’s bean throwing festival celebrated every year on February 3rd. The festival is celebrated around the country to drive away the evils of the previous year.
Temples offer bean throwing ceremonies where celebrities and the toshi otoko/ona or adults born on the same year as the current Chinese year animal, are invited (at a fee) to throw roasted beans to drive away the devils.
I attended this year the zojo-ji ceremony, and arrived early to ensure a good position, close to the ceremony stage.
The ceremony started with a parade of the toshi otoko/ona, children from a local school, and toshi pets?.
Mochitsuki or mochi rice cakes pounding, was the first activity, with some of the previously made mochi thrown to the attendees. Mochi I learned the hard way, once dried can be very hard. The toshi otoko/ona where effectively throwing rocks at us.
Next event was the entrance of the previous year evils, and the children of a local school, throwing beans at them to drive them away, very cute.
After driving the demons away, celebrities and the toshi otoko/ona came out to do the mamemaki or bean throwing to the attendees. Catching one of the bean bags ensure that you will have prosperity through the year. I was not expecting the intensity of the attendees trying to catch one of the bags, this frenzy can only be described as a mix of a moshpitting and the cracking of a candy filled Mexican piñata, fortunately no one was hurt and we all got at least one bag of beans.
The ceremony was closed by a retired sumo fighter singing a prayer for peace.
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