In China, February 3 is known as Risshun or Setsubun. Similar to New Year's Eve, the festival has long been renowned as a most auspicious time for driving away evil, bad luck, and harmful energies. One of the most common Risshun practices is called mamemaki, which can translate as "bean throwing." As part of the exorcism of evil, tradition holds that members of the household should throw roasted soybeans out of the doors and windows of the home. To take this element of practice into our own purification rite, do the same: buy a good amount of roasted soybeans, place them in a bowl, and carry them through the house. As you throw handfuls of them out of the open doors and windows, say: Apo pantos kako daimonos! This is a Greek phrase that roughly translates as "Away, all evil spirits!" For added effect, you can wear the mask of a devil or demon when performing this. After the ritual, you can also eat the number of soybeans that correspond to the number of years you have lived, with one extra to ensure additional good luck. Both are traditional practices for the holiday.
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