Setsubun
Setsubun | |
---|---|
![]() Tokuan shrine | |
Also called | Bean-throwing festival, Bean-throwing ceremony |
Observed by | Japanese people |
Type | Religious, cultural |
Significance | Day before the beginning of spring |
Date | Between 2 and 4 February |
2023 date | Friday, 3 February |
2024 date | Saturday, 3 February |
Frequency | Annual |
Related to | Spring Festival (Harumatsuri) |
![](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/8/83/Setsubun_2006_Kobe.jpg/220px-Setsubun_2006_Kobe.jpg)
![](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/4/4d/Kinpusenji_Setsubune_2018a.jpg/220px-Kinpusenji_Setsubune_2018a.jpg)
Setsubun (
History
[edit]Setsubun has its origins in tsuina (
The custom of Setsubun as we know it today began in the Muromachi period (1336–1573). Every household of the aristocracy and samurai class threw beans from their houses into the open air. The Ainōshō,[10] a dictionary compiled during the Muromachi period, states that the practice of bean-throwing during Setsubun originated from a legend in the 10th century, during the reign of Emperor Uda, that a monk on Mt. Kurama escaped misfortune by blinding oni with roasted beans. The Japanese word for bean,
From the Edo period (1603–1867), the custom of throwing beans at Shinto shrines, Buddhist temples, and homes of ordinary people spread throughout Japan as an event or festival to drive away evil spirits during Setsubun. It was also during this period that the custom of tying roasted sardine heads to holly sprig to decorate the gates of houses during Setsubun began. This custom was intended to scare away oni with the thorns of the holly leaves and the smell of the roasted sardines. The original form of this custom is recorded in the Tosa Nikki, compiled in 934 during the Heian period (794–1185). The diary describes a Shinto shimenawa (sacred rope) that was hung on the gate of a house during the New Year's holiday to mark the boundary of purification, and that a mullet head pierced with a sprig of holly was attached to the shimenawa.[5][6]
The custom of eating ehōmaki (
Traditions
[edit]Mamemaki
[edit]The main ritual associated with the observance of Setsubun is mamemaki (
The custom of mamemaki first appeared in the Muromachi period,[2] and is usually performed by either a man of the household born in the corresponding zodiac year for the new year (toshiotoko (
Because Watanabe no Tsuna, a retainer of Minamoto no Yorimitsu during the Heian period (794–1185), is associated with the legend that he vanquished oni historically considered to be the strongest, such as Shuten-doji and Ibaraki-doji, there is a tradition that oni stay away from people named Watanabe and their houses. For this reason, some families with the surname Watanabe have not practiced the custom of throwing beans on Setsubun for generations.[18][19] Watanabe no Tsuna was the first person to take the surname Watanabe, and Watanabe is the fifth most common surname in Japan, with approximately 1.08 million people as of 2017[update].[20]
Though still a somewhat common practice in households, many people will also or instead attend a shrine or temple's spring festival, where the practice of mamemaki is performed;[3] in some areas, such as Kyoto, this involves a dance performed by apprentice geisha, after which the apprentices themselves throw packets of roasted soybeans to the crowds. In other areas, priests and invited guests throw packets of roasted soybeans, some wrapped in gold or silver foil, small envelopes with money, sweets, candies and other prizes. In some bigger and more central shrines, celebrities and sumo wrestlers are invited to celebrations, usually to Setsubun events that are televised.[21] At Sensō-ji in the Asakusa neighborhood of Tokyo, crowds of nearly 100,000 people attend the annual festivities.[22]
Other practices
[edit]A number of other, in some cases more esoteric practices exist surrounding the celebration and observance of Setsubun; some are regional, such as the Kansai area tradition of eating uncut makizushi rolls, known as ehō-maki (
Other practices include the putting up of small decorations of sardine heads and holly leaves (
Historical practices
[edit]The new year was felt to be a time when the spirit world became close to the physical world, thus the need to perform mamemaki to drive away any wandering spirits that might happen too close to one's home. Other customs during this time included religious dances, festivals, and bringing tools inside the house that might normally be left outside, to prevent the spirits from harming them. Rice cakes were also balanced on lintels and windowsills.[3]
Because Setsubun is considered to be a day set apart from the rest of the year, a tradition of role reversal in appearance and dress was also practiced; such customs included girls wearing the hairstyles of older women and vice versa, wearing disguises, and cross-dressing. This custom is still practiced among geisha and their clients when entertaining on Setsubun.[3]
Traveling entertainers (
Regional variations
[edit]In the Tōhoku area of Japan, the head of the household (traditionally the father) would take roasted beans in his hand, pray at the family shrine, and then toss the sanctified beans out the door.[27] Peanuts (either raw or coated in a sweet, crunchy batter) are sometimes used in place of soybeans.[28]
There are many variations on the famous "Oni wa soto, fuku wa uchi!" chant. For example, in the city of Aizuwakamatsu, people chant Oni no medama buttsubuse! (
See also
[edit]- Ehōmaki, a sushi roll often eaten for good luck on Setsubun.
- Exorcism
- Feast of the Lemures (a similar Roman custom)
- Holidays of Japan
- Rikka (
立夏 ) - Risshū (
立秋 ) - Risshun (
立春 ) - Rittō (
立冬 ) - Saint John's Eve
- Taoism in Japan
- Walpurgis Night
- Zvončari (the custom dating to pagan times in Croatia whose goal is to scare away evil spirits of winter and to stir up new springtime cycle)
References
[edit]- ^ Thacker, Brian (2005). The Naked Man Festival: And Other Excuses to Fly Around the World. Allen & Unwin. p. 61. ISBN 1-74114-399-3.
- ^ a b c Sosnoski, Daniel (1996). Introduction to Japanese culture. Tuttle Publishing. p. 9. ISBN 0-8048-2056-2.
setsubun.
- ^ a b c d e f g Dalby, Liza Crihfield (1983). Geisha. University of California Press. ISBN 0-520-04742-7.
- ^ "Religions – Shinto: Haru Matsuri (Spring festivals)". BBC. Retrieved March 10, 2014.
- ^ a b c
節分 行事 あれこれ薄 れる「年頭 」感覚 -風習 、呼 び名 地域 で特色 (in Japanese). Mie Prefecture. Archived from the original on December 1, 2021. Retrieved February 4, 2023. - ^ a b
節分 の「鰯 の頭 」と「柊 鰯 」 (in Japanese). Doshisha Women's College of Liberal Arts. January 15, 2019. Archived from the original on February 1, 2021. Retrieved February 4, 2023. - ^
伝 えて行 きたい伝統 行事 -節分 - (in Japanese). Dazaifu Fureai Museum. Archived from the original on August 15, 2022. Retrieved February 4, 2023. - ^ a b どうして
豆 まきをするの?節分 の由来 ご紹介 (in Japanese). Kikou. February 1, 2019. Archived from the original on February 4, 2023. Retrieved February 4, 2023. - ^
節分 (in Japanese). Sagae Hachimangu. February 3, 2022. Archived from the original on September 27, 2022. Retrieved February 4, 2023. - ^ Gyōyo (
行 誉 ) (1445). Ainōshō (壒嚢鈔). National Institute of Japanese Literature. - ^
勇壮 で華 やかな京都 の節分 :吉田 神社 の追 儺式、蘆 山寺 の鬼 おどり、八坂神社 の豆 まき (in Japanese). nippon.com. January 31, 2019. Archived from the original on June 24, 2022. Retrieved February 4, 2023. - ^
仕掛 けた人 は誰 ?恵方 巻 きの由来 ・ルーツ・丸 かぶりの謎 (in Japanese). Gurunavi. Archived from the original on February 2, 2023. Retrieved February 4, 2023. - ^ Craig, Timothy J. (2000). Japan pop!: inside the world of Japanese popular culture. M.E. Sharpe. p. 194. ISBN 0-7656-0561-9.
- ^ Karl, Jason (2007). An Illustrated History of the Haunted World. New Holland Publishers. p. 62. ISBN 978-1-84537-687-1.
- ^ "Japanese Setsubun Festival Activities".
- ^ "All About Setsubun: The Bean-Throwing Festival | Work in Japan for engineers". January 19, 2021.
- ^
節分 とは?2023年 は2月 3日 豆 まきや恵方 巻 の意味 と由来 (in Japanese). Japan Airlines. January 18, 2023. Archived from the original on February 2, 2023. Retrieved February 5, 2023. - ^
渡辺 さんは豆 まきしない?最後 に「鬼 は内 ~」阪神 間 の多彩 な「鬼 事情 」 (in Japanese). Kobe Shimbun. February 3, 2022. Archived from the original on February 2, 2023. Retrieved February 5, 2023. - ^ 「
渡辺 姓 」の人 は豆 まきをしなくていい理由 平安 時代 の歴史 に起因 (in Japanese). Livedoor News. February 3, 2017. Archived from the original on February 2, 2021. Retrieved February 5, 2023. - ^ 「
渡辺 」「渡部 」「渡邊 」「渡邉 」の知 られざる真実 (in Japanese). Toyo Keizai. May 28, 2017. p. 1,2. Archived from the original on January 30, 2023. Retrieved February 5, 2023. - ^ Mishima, Shizuko. "Setsubun – Bean Throwing Festival". About.com. Archived from the original on July 7, 2011. Retrieved February 1, 2011.
- ^ "Setsubun Is Right Around the Corner". Japan Travel Bureau. January 29, 2014. Archived from the original on February 19, 2014. Retrieved February 2, 2014.
- ^ "Setsubun – Around February 3". Massachusetts Institute of Technology. March 5, 2002. Retrieved February 2, 2014.
- ^ Lapointe, Rick (February 3, 2002). "Are you ready to roll with the change on 'setsubun no hi'?". The Japan Times. Retrieved February 2, 2014.
- ^
鬼 は内 ?鬼 は外 ?豆 まき珍 風習 や、恵方 巻 以外 もある各地 の節分 行事 食 (in Japanese). All About,inc. December 27, 2023. Archived from the original on February 22, 2024. Retrieved March 8, 2024. - ^
節分 の食 べ物 は地域 によって違 う?意味 や由来 も紹介 (in Japanese). Hankyu Hanshin Department Stores, Inc. September 23, 2022. Archived from the original on March 8, 2024. Retrieved March 8, 2024. - ^ a b Shurtleff, William; Aoyagi, Akiko (December 2012). History of Soynuts, Soynut Butter, Japanese-Style Roasted Soybeans (Irimame) and Setsubun (with Mamemaki) (1068–2012): Extensively Annotated Bibliography and Sourcebook. Soyinfo Center. p. 521. ISBN 9781928914532. Retrieved February 2, 2018.
- ^ "Setsubun
節分 ". Japan Reference. February 2, 2013. Retrieved February 2, 2014.
External links
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