Where Japanese teachers and students help each other

立春と節分 /RISSHUN & SETSUBUN

節分 / SETSUBUN

Risshun, a day marking the beginning of spring, occurs around February 4th each year. The day before risshun, called SETSUBUN, was New Year's Eve under the traditional calendar. On the night of SETSUBUN, one used to hear people in their homes chanting the phrase "鬼は外、福は内 (oni wa soto, fuku wa uchi), which means "Out with devils! In with good fortune!", as they scattered beans about. This custom is less widely observed nowadays. The "devils" are happenings auch as disasters and epidemics. It is said that if, after scattering the beans, each member of the family eats the exact number of beans corresponding to their age, they will be able to pass the year in perfect health.

なぜ鬼(おに)を追い払う(おいはらう)のに豆(まめ)をまくの？

Why do you throw beans to chase away Oni?

A : What are you doing?

B : I'm throwing beans. This is a ritual we do during SETSUBUN, which is the day before the calendrical beginning of spring. It's meant to chase away Oni.

A : Can you really drive off Oni with beans?

B : We throw beans, or "mame" in Japanese, because we have another word of the same sound, which means diligence, the least associated with Oni. "Mame" also sounds similar to "mametsu," which refers to the eradication of demons. Japanese believe that there is power in words or puns.

A ; いったい何(なに)をしているの？

B : 豆(まめ)を投(な)げているのです。これは立春(りっしゅん)の前日(ぜんじつ)である節分(せつぶん)の儀式(ぎしき)みたいなもので、鬼(おに)をはらうという意味(いみ)があります。

A : 豆(まめ)で鬼(おに)が本当(ほんとう)に追(お)い払(はら)えるの？

B : 豆(まめ)は、これと同音異義語(どうおんいぎご)があり「勤勉(きんべん)」を意味(いみ)するのですが、これは鬼(おに)から最(もっと)も連想(れんそう)できないことですね。また「魔(ま)を滅(めっ)する」という意味(いみ)の言葉(ことば)「魔滅(まめつ)」が「豆(まめ)」の発音(はつおん)に似(に)ているので、豆(まめ)を投(な)げるのです。日本人(にほんじん)は言葉(ことば)や語呂合(ごろあ)わせにもパワーが宿(やど)ると考(かんが)えている向(む)きがあります。