03/02/2026
🍃 Setsubun | Tuesday 3rd February 2026
Setsubun is a traditional Japanese festival marking the seasonal boundary between winter and spring, celebrated one day before Risshun, the first day of spring.
The word Setsubun literally means “the division of seasons”, and while the date can vary, this year it falls on February 3rd.
Although not a national holiday, Setsubun is widely observed across Japan as a time of cleansing, protection, and renewal. T
raditionally, it was considered a symbolic New Year’s Eve, a moment to clear away the misfortune of the past year before stepping into the new.
One of the best-known customs is mamemaki, the bean-throwing ritual.
Roasted soybeans, known as fukumame or “fortune beans”, are thrown inside and outside the home while calling out: “Oni wa soto! Fuku wa uchi!” which means Demons out! Fortune in!
The oni represent illness, bad luck, and lingering negativity from winter. The act itself is not about fear, but about consciously releasing what no longer serves and making space for health, wellbeing, and good fortune.
Another Setsubun tradition is eating ehomaki, an uncut sushi roll filled with seven ingredients, representing the Seven Lucky Gods. It is eaten in silence while facing the year’s lucky direction, which in 2026 is south-southeast.
Roasted soybeans are also eaten, one for each year of your life, often with one extra for luck.
At its heart, Setsubun is a purification ritual. A seasonal pause to acknowledge what has accumulated during the darker months, emotionally, physically, and energetically, and to gently let it go.
As we stand at this threshold between seasons, it’s a beautiful moment for emotional decluttering and quiet intention-setting.
✨ What are you ready to gently release as we cross into a new season?
