Febuary 3rd was the Setsubun holiday in Japan.
Setsubun is when people force bad luck and devils out of their homes. The common practice is to take soy beans and throw them on the floor while shouting, "Oni wa soto, Fuku wa Uchi " which means "Devil Get Out!", " Good Luck Come In!" Then you should eat your age in beans, of course not the beans you threw on the floor.
There are actually 4 Setsubun days throughtout the year but in recent times the February 3rd one is the most widely celebrated. This Setsubun is the last one before the start of the New Year so it is most imperative to bring good luck into your home for the new year.
In the past burning sardine heads and holy tree leaves outside the front door was a common way to deter evil spirits from entering the home.
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