Please join us for our annual Setsubun-sai ceremony, Setsubun-sai. It will be held on February 3rd at 7pm (pacific) on our “ShintoInari” YouTube channel. Please join us to when it’s time for the ceremony!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BR-w7V-X5FQ
Setsubun is a day before the Risshun (the first day of spring). Risshun is the beginning of a new season! So, 節分祭 Setsubun-sai is the new season eve’s matsuri.
In ancient times, Japanese people considered the day of Risshun to be the beginning of the year, because it is the beginning of the season which plants starts to sprouts and animals show up in the fields.
Japanese people have traditionally rid themselves of the bad luck accumulated during the previous seasonal year with the Setsubun 節分 Shinto ceremony held on the last day of the seasonal year.
In the Setsubun Shinto ceremony, we throw roasted beans to drive away Oni (evil spirits). If we had a permanent location, we could also shoot arrows to drive away Oni. 年女、年男 (the guests of the ceremony those who were born under the year’s zodiacal sign) would throw roasted lucky beans and the participants would receive them as tessen. We hope to follow these customs when we have a permanent location.
At our shrine, we always hold 節分祭 either in the evening or at night.
On Setsubun, our Shrine has the custom for people who are having yakudoshi (critical year), request to have gokitō held, such as yakubarai Gokitō ceremony. Request yours here.
At home, in the evening or night, we throw roasted beans towards the outside while shouting “Oni wa soto!” then close the window or door, and throw towards the inside while shouting “Fuku wa uchi!”
Also we have the custom of eating the number of roasted beans plus one of our kazoedoshi. (please visit here to find your kazoedoshi). If your kazoedoshi is 20, eat 21 beans.
If you have an Ofuda, offer the roasted beans to Kami-sama before throwing and/or consuming them.
VIP members of Shinto Inari Kai will receive a naorai package which includes roasted beans after the ceremony.
There will be no Member’s Closing Talk for this ceremony.
When you visit a Shinto Shrine, the custom is to put some Osaisen into the donation box.
Your contributions allow us to hold more ceremonies, and make our dreams of building a Shinto Shrine in Los Angeles come true!! You can now use the Paypal Giving Fund to donate and 100% of your donation goes to us if you use the QR code below or this link.
