National Foundation Day

February 11 is called National Foundation Day, a public holiday. National Foundation Day is a day to celebrate the founding of Japan. Since it isn’t clear exactly when Japan was founded, this day is set aside to celebrate the establishment of the nation of Japan, and it is also said to be a day to foster a feeling of cherishing the country.

Giving chocolate to a friend

In general, “tomo-choco” refers to giving chocolate to friends. In the past, it was common for women to give chocolate to a man they liked or to men who had helped them, but recently, giving chocolate to friends—called tomo-choco—has become more common. By the way, giving chocolate to yourself as a reward for your efforts is called “jibun-choco”!

Ehomaki

Ehomaki are said to grant your wish if you eat them silently while facing that year’s lucky direction on Setsubun night. Ehomaki are thick sushi rolls, and the “lucky direction” is the direction where the deity resides, which changes every year. It’s common to include seven ingredients in an ehomaki, in reference to the Seven Lucky Gods.

bean

We scatter beans to drive away bad things and invite good fortune. It’s said to come from an old tale of defeating demons with beans, and roasted soybeans are most commonly used. Raw beans are avoided because any forgotten beans that sprout afterward are considered bad luck, so people use roasted beans that won’t sprout. In some regions, they throw peanuts instead!

night

It’s said that oni (demons) come at night on Setsubun, so it’s best to do the bean-throwing in the evening. Once the whole family is gathered, open all the windows and the front door, and start the bean-throwing. As you do, call out “Oni wa soto, fuku wa uchi” (“Demons out, fortune in”) while tossing the beans to drive the demons away!

Eat one more than your age

On Setsubun, people eat one more bean than their age. This is said to carry the wish, “May you live healthily and happily next year as well.” It seems that whether you count by traditional Japanese age (kazoedoshi) or by full age makes no difference. Roasted soybeans are hard, so please be careful when eating them.

sardine

It’s said that ogres dislike the fishy smell of sardines. They’re also believed to dislike the prickly leaves of holly, so if you stick a sardine head on a holly branch and display it at your entrance, ogres supposedly won’t come in. The timing for putting it up varies by region—some places display it only on Setsubun day, while others keep it up throughout February.