Better nine years late than never.

Surfaced, this morning, from an email I apparently didn't send to myself in 2011:

鮎の背に一抹の朱のありしごとし

Touché, 原石鼎.

鬼は外！ 福は内！ (Setsubun!)

Doing my daily Japanese reading a few minutes ago, I came across an example of  「鬼は外！」 (Demons, out!) Some Helpful Soul points out that this is said on Setsubun (節分), season-division (into Spring), which, as it happens, is today. Time to banish demons and bring in luck! I need to hit the 食料品店 (グロ・スト) , anyway, so maybe I can pick up some soybeans to wing out the door. For a demon mask, luckily, I can just use my face.  >:-D

The custom of mamemaki first appeared in the Muromachi period. It is usually performed by the toshiotoko (年男) of the household (the male who was born on the corresponding animal year on the Chinese zodiac), or else the male head of the household. Roasted soybeans (called "fortune beans" [福豆, fuku mame]) are thrown either out the door or at a member of the family wearing an Oni (demon or ogre) mask, while the people say "Demons out! Luck in!" (鬼は外! 福は内!, Oni wa soto! Fuku wa uchi!) and slam the door. This is still common practice in households but many people will attend a shrine or temple's spring festival where this is done. The beans are thought to symbolically purify the home by driving away the evil spirits that bring misfortune and bad health with them. Then, as part of bringing luck in, it is customary to eat roasted soybeans, one for each year of one's life, and in some areas, one for each year of one's life plus one more for bringing good luck for the year to come. (Wikipedia)

I could use some demon-banishing and some luck, so today is the today for me, フォ・ショ.