Setsubun is a festival that marks the end of winter and the start of spring. It is a very fun and exciting festival! Setsubun is a special time for families and friends to come together and celebrate. It is a time to be happy and hopeful for the future!
During Setsubun, people throw roasted soybeans outside their houses and shout "Oni wa soto! Fuku wa uchi!" which means "Demons out! Luck in!". This is to scare away evil spirits and bring good luck and happiness into the peoples' homes.
Another popular activity during Setsubun is mamemaki, which is when people take turns tossing roasted soybeans at a person dressed as an oni, or demon. The demon represents all the evil in the world, and throwing soybeans is a way to drive it away.
There are also other fun activities like watching traditional dance performances and eating special sushi rolls. For good luck, you have to eat the rolls in one direction while being quiet. This year we had to eat them going west. They were very tasty!
