#128, Setsubun, Mamemaki, Ehoumaki 節分、豆撒き、恵方巻

こんにちは。 ジェニのピカピカ日本語へようこそ。 Today I will provide more information about Setsubun. One of the highlights of Setsubun is the bean-throwing. The beans are thrown while shouting loudly, "Oni wa soto, fuku wa uchi, demons out happiness in. 鬼 (devil) 福 (Happiness) Beans must be roasted before being thrown. The beans are basically a symbol of the old year, to be purged and thrown away with impurities and misfortune, to ward off evil spirits, and if they sprout, it is said that "people will be eaten by demons" or "bad things will happen to the house". In Japanese, it is also said to have the following meaning. 豆を炒る Mameoiru = roast beans 魔目を射る Mameoiru = cast an evil eye on = to purge evil spirits And it's not just the scattering of the beans that children enjoy. After the bean-throwing ceremony, it is customary to eat as many beans as one's age, so they enjoy eating as many beans as their age. The meaning of eating beans on Setsubun is that roasted soybeans are called "Fuku-mame福豆". Eating as many of these Fukumame as one's age is a wish for a healthy and happy life, and if one takes in the good fortune into one's body, one will be able to live a healthy life without getting sick. One more thing to eat during Setsubun is Ehoumaki恵方巻. On the night of Setsubun, it is said that if you eat the whole Ehoumaki without saying a word, your wish will come true. What is "towards the direction of Ehou"? Ehou is the direction in which the goddess of good fortune resides, and this direction is determined by the ten signs of the Chinese zodiac of the year, so it is quite difficult to determine. It is said that Japanese people throw beans without really thinking about the meaning, but if you look into it, you will find that each one has its own meaning. Did you learn anything new? See you tomorrow.