Happy Setsubun! For whatever reason, it seems like this is the only Japanese holiday that I consistently have things to write about. Three years ago, I attended festivities at Zenko-ji in Nagano City, last year I learned more about the tradition of throwing beans at an oni-mask-wearing family member, and this year I ordered some ehou-maki from the store for dinner!
Wait… what is Setsubun again?
Just a quick refresher, the kanji for Setsubun are 節, which means ‘season,’ and 分, which means ‘divide.’ Put them together and you have ‘the division between seasons.’ This means that while today is still winter, tomorrow is technically spring! And, well, it did rain the other day so I guess that’s at least somewhat valid.
Setsubun doesn’t just mark the end of winter and the beginning of spring, however. It also means it’s time for spring cleaning, out with the old and in with the new! Purify your house of bad energy and welcome in a year of good luck!
I could definitely do with some good luck… How do I get it?
There are a couple of ways you can do this. Two, going to a temple and fighting for peanuts or pelting an oni with legume pebbles, are detailed in the posts linked above. The third is ehou-maki! Its’s the only thing left for Setsubun that I haven’t experienced. Gah! What does that mean for next year’s Setsubun post??!!
Ehou-maki
Moving on, ehou-maki are long rolls consisting of seaweed, rice, and typically seven fillings (one for each of the seven gods of fortune). They look like a thick sushi roll that hasn’t been cut into bite-sized pieces yet. Originally from the kansai region, they’ve been so well-marketed that now everyone eats them for Setsubun!
But wait, do you think one can just eat one of these appetizing rolls and just get luck? Ha! Of course it’s gotta be more complicated than that. Turns out there are some rules you have to follow to maximize your luck-getting.
- Never ever ever ever cut your ehou-maki. You can cut off your luck this way!
- When you eat an ehou-maki, you should face the ehou, or lucky direction, for that year (south-south-east for 2021). If you do face this direction, you will absorb some luck while you eat!
- You should also do your best to eat in silence. It is thought that if you speak while eating your ehou-maki, you will actually exhale some of your luck for the year. And I don’t think anyone wants that.
There ya go, three easy rules and you’re chock-full of luck for the coming year.
My store-bought ehou-maki
Come Setsubun time, you can find order forms for these lucky rolls literally everywhere. Konbini, supermarkets, conveyer belt sushi restaurants, all bursting at the seems with bright, eye-catching advertisements. This year, I decided to buy some from my local grocery store because that made the most sense to me. I’m pretty much there every day now that Hunter is here!
We ordered three rolls — a katsu (above), roast beef, and a California (so traditional I know).
How do you celebrate the end of winter? Have you ever partaken in any Setsubun events? Let me know in the comments!
