Setsubun
On February 3rd, people in Japan celebrate Setsubun, the coming of Spring. Special sushi rolls called eho-maki are eaten while facing the auspicious direction for that year. After dinner, roasted soy beans, or iri-mame are thrown out the front door of the house to cast out demons (oni), disease and bad fortune, and welcome spring and and a new year of good fortune.
Setsubun is associated with The Chinese New Year, or Lunar Calendar which was used for centuries in Japan, so this celebrates the new year as well as the coming of Spring. It is still an important event in Japan. Setsubun properly refers to the day before the coming of any of the four seasons, so, this is actually, Risshun, spring Setsubun.
Setsubun dinner is a simple meal of sushi rolls (makizushi). The proper way to eat this dinner is to face a certain direction, this year it was south-east, and eat the entire sushi roll without stopping. Don’t speak, just make your wish! This takes longer than you might think, so you have time to wish a lot!