Setsubun, or, Banish Those Demons

So I've officially experienced my first Japanese holiday/festival (I'm not entirely sure which classification it fits into). Setsubun, held every year on February 3rd, is the celebration that marks the last day of winter. The next day, February 4th, is known as Risshan no Hi, the first day of spring. (And yes, the Japanese do observe the equinoxes as well, but due to climate differences, they're not really thought of as the beginning of spring/autumn.)

Essentially, Setsubun is celebrated by eating special sushi rolls. Unlike most sushi rolls, these aren't cut into pieces (from what I've read, doing that is bad luck). Instead, you actually eat them with your hands (and, yes, they are definitely delicious). After dinner, a member of the family (oftentimes the father, but in my homestay family, the sisters take turns; this year it was the younger sister) wears an oni/demon mask, and the other members of the family chase them out, shouting "Oni wa soto! Oni wa soto!" ("Demons go out!")

I'm not entirely sure why the last day of winter is a good time to banish demons, but some of the articles I've read indicate this is a time of year when people get sick a lot, so they're hoping to avoid illness over the next several weeks. Whether this is accurate or not, I'm unsure.

The family member with the mask then hurries back in, and the door is promptly shut, to keep the demons stuck out in the dark.

Inside, the family throws peanuts at the "oni" while shouting "Fuku wa uchi! Fuku wa uchi!" ("Fortune, come in!") After this, (at least in my homestay), this devolved into me and the two sisters tossing peanuts at each other for the fun of it.

At the table, Okaasan (Mother) counted out beans for everyone present, one for each year of their life, and one extra. We all ate our portion, for good luck, and then we all had mikan (oranges) for longevity. It was all a rather simple and easily-executed celebration, at least from my perspective, but it was a lot of fun.