It feels like the new year has just begun and time has flown by, but I'm also looking forward to seeing what kind of year it will be.
This time we will talk about the 24th and final season of the 24 solar terms, Daikan .
What is Daikan?
Great Cold refers to the period from January 20th to February 3rd.
It is said to be the coldest time of the year.
Even in the cold, the arrival of spring can be felt as butterbur flowers bloom.
Food for the Great Cold
Mizuna is a vegetable that comes into season during the coldest period of the year.
It is said that the colder it is, the more delicious it becomes.
It's an essential vegetable for hotpot.
Flowers of the Great Cold
A flower that can be seen during the Great Cold season is the Setsubunsou .
The name comes from the fact that it blooms around the time of Setsubun.
This flowering plant can be found mainly on the Pacific side of the Kanto region and westward, and was designated a near-threatened species in 2019.
Great Cold Events
Setsubun is an essential event during the coldest period of the year.
In ancient Japan, the beginning of spring was seen as the beginning of the year, and it was said to be a day to ward off evil spirits and pray for good health at the end of the year, the second third of the year.
Speaking of Setsubun, there is Ehomaki and Bean throwing .
Ehomaki
The custom of facing the lucky direction of the year and eating an entire sushi roll is said to have its roots in Osaka during the Edo period.
The rule is to eat the whole roll in silence without cutting it.
Can you eat it all in one?
It seems to mean "don't cut ties" or "don't let your luck slip away."
However, it's difficult to finish eating a thick roll without cutting it!
There doesn't seem to be any strict rules regarding the thickness, so try making them thin, half-sized, or preferably a size that can be eaten in one go.
It is said that seven types of ingredients are good, in reference to the Seven Lucky Gods, who are considered to be auspicious.
Typical ingredients include conger eel, eel, shrimp, kanpyo, shiitake mushrooms, cucumber, rolled omelet, and cherry denbu.
It has spread throughout the country, and recently there have been many variations of ehomaki.
Enjoy Ehomaki with your favorite ingredients
bean throwing
I'm sure there are many people who have a general idea of how to do it, but...
The beans used for Setsubun are traditionally roasted the day before, placed in a wooden box, and offered at the Shinto altar.
So sacred beans are needed to ward off demons.
If you don't have a Shinto altar, it seems you can place white paper beans on top and offer them somewhere high up.
And why roasted beans?
This is to prevent the seeds of disaster from emerging later.
It is also said that recently bean throwing is often done by people who are the oldest man or woman in their 20th year, or people in their unlucky years .
However, if we do it together, it's even more effective at driving away demons.
The demons come at midnight.
It is said that the best time to throw beans is on the night of February 3rd, just before midnight.
Of course, it's fine to start in the evening.
We open the front door and windows wide and throw beans, shouting "Oni wa soto!" (Demons out).
Once you've finished scattering the beans, be sure to lock the door securely to keep out demons and good fortune!
Next, we throw beans into the room, shouting "Good luck in!"
It seems best to wrap the entrance last.
Once you've finished scattering the beans, there's something important to do.
If you want to ward off bad luck this year, eat one more bean than your age.
As you get older, you have to eat a lot, which is difficult.
I'm sure there are some people who don't like beans.
Alternatively, there is a theory that putting any remaining beans into a teacup and drinking it as "lucky tea" will bring the same benefits.
The bean-throwing ceremony is over! It looks like we're in for a great year.
As we approach spring, the seasons change and events increase.
Also, please enjoy the Setsubun events.
72nd generation
- Butterbur buds sprout
- Sawa Mizu Koori Tsumeru: Thick ice on the stream
- Chickens start laying eggs.
*The 72 seasonal divisions (shichijunikou) are a system of representing the seasons devised in ancient China. They refer to the 24 solar terms further divided into three periods of approximately 5 days each.
Author: Sekido Edited by: Yui and Kambara
