“Setsubun” originally means division of seasons. It is used to mark the end of spring, summer, autumn and winter. However “setsubun” has now come to mean the day before the first day of spring only in particular. It occurs on February 3rd this year.
On this day, in a custom called “mame-maki”, people throw and scatter soy beans in the evening in order to drive the evil spirits away from them. Recently some people eat rolled sushi, “ehomaki” while facing the year’s lucky direction.