Setsubun: ehomaki and lucky beans

Ehomaki

On Setsubun, there's a custom — said to have become widespread more recently — of eating an uncut sushi roll (ehomaki) while facing that year's "lucky direction" (eho). Its origin is told a few different ways; one well-known account traces it to Osaka merchants wishing for good business, though where it actually started isn't said to be firmly settled. The common way to eat it is to picture a wish and finish the roll in silence without stopping, though that's more of a custom than a fixed rule. These days ehomaki come in a wide range of fillings and thicknesses, and reserving or buying one at a convenience store or supermarket has become common too. The lucky direction itself is said to be set anew each year rather than staying fixed, so it's worth checking signage or the packaging for that year's direction.

Bean-throwing and lucky beans

Setsubun is also widely associated with mamemaki, throwing roasted soybeans (fukumame) while calling out "oni wa soto, fuku wa uchi" (demons out, good fortune in). It's sometimes said that eating the beans you threw, or a number equal to your age, is meant to wish for good health, though the exact custom varies by household and region. In some areas, roasted soybeans are swapped for in-shell peanuts, reportedly because they're easier to find again in the snow where winters are heavy. In some areas, a custom called hiiragi-iwashi also survives, where a grilled sardine head is displayed with a holly branch at the entrance.

Related foods

If rolled sushi interests you, see "Sushi"; for more foods tied to seasonal events, check the related tag.