Setsubun

[masshigura]

It's coming up next month, right? I guess it's short notice for a request, but will there be a culture class lesson about it? I see the おにmasks at 7-11, and I know it involves bean throwing and eating some kind of sushi...but that's about all. I don't know the significance of it all.

[Psy]

It's just a small custom that pops around at this time of year. The head of the household will don an Oni mask and-- as he is running outside-- be pelted with soybeans by the other family members as they chant 鬼は外、福は内！ (oni wa soto, fuku wa uchi! Demon(s) out, good luck in!) It's sort of a ritual purification mixed with good family fun.

Not a lot else to it, really. Play along if you get the chance.

[windbiscuit]

Culture Class #4 talks about Setsubun, but I only know that because I downloaded it onto my computer a while back. Unfortunately, I no longer see it listed on the site. In fact, we seem to be missing Culture Classes 4-14. What happened?

[masshigura]

yeah, i subscribed to this and I'm going through old lessons now...i was wondering what happened to lessons 4-14 from the culture class...