Setsubun!

Went out in the rain and nonsense this AM to do the Setsubun thing, cause last year Sandy and I got out to the shrine after it was all over...

Via the always illuminating Wikipedia - Setsubun:

"In Japan, Setsubun (節分) is the day before the beginning of each season. The name literally means 'seasonal division', but usually the term refers to the spring Setsubun, properly called Risshun (立春), celebrated yearly on February 3. In its association with the Lunar New Year, Spring Setsubun can be thought of (and indeed was previously thought of) as a sort of New Year's Eve, and so was accompanied by a special ritual to cleanse away all the evil of the former year and drive away disease-bringing evil spirits for the year to come. This special ritual is called mamemaki (豆撒き, lit. bean scattering).

...At Buddhist temples and Shinto shrines all over the country, there are celebrations for Setsubun. Priests and invited guests will throw roasted soy beans (some wrapped in gold or silver foil), small envelopes with money, sweets, candies and other prizes."

Saw a handful of my students out at the shrine, which is always cool.

In that pic on the right, that bachan/grandma in the purple... she totally moved to box me out once they started throwing the stuff. Cute, in an oddly aggressive way.

Our haul. [We gave the rest to the kids.]