Setsubun

It's that time of year again!  On Tuesday we had Setsubun.

They sell the beans in little packets decorated with Oni masks at the Daiso.  This is what they look like.  I ate 27.  It was a lot.  I better not get the flu this year!

Here's how Vivi reacted when I told her she had to eat 4.  She will probably get the flu.

On Tuesday morning, I told the kids what was going to happen, and they were nervous, but excited.  So we sang a song called "Nervous, but Excited" and then they got on the bus.  Andelynn and I got to walk over to watch and take pictures this year.  Since I was going to be walking I knew I would get hot on the way over, so I didn't take a coat.  The Japanese woman I stood next to found this concerning and wrapped her scarf around my neck and down my arms, muttering "Samui, ne!" (it's cold, you know!) and shaking her head as I protested "daijoubu, yo!" (I'm fine, really!).

Her daughter was crying because she'd caught a glimpse of Oni, sneaking to his hiding spot.

Before the kids came outside they gathered in circles in their classrooms around piñatas decorated like Oni and yelled "Oni wa soto, fuku wa uchi!" (demons out, luck in!) while they threw bean bags at it.  Then they all came outside to confront the real Oni.  Vivi's class is in the center by the building.  I'm pretty sure she's in Bibi-chan mode here, because she's doing her kabuki actions, explaining to her friends what's going to happen next.  Rafe's class is in the very back on the right.

Oni appears, and the children recede like a nervous wave.

After the initial shock, the older kids charged oni and started the bean throwing.  Most of the tamago class (Rafe's class) hadn't really been close to Oni yet, so they were confused about all the running and screaming, but still excited.  Here's Rafe by the slide, getting ready to throw his beans.

But, then Oni started actually coming up to the little kids, and that's when the crying started.  Rafe is clinging to Okamura-sensei's leg, his green Tuffy Tooth shirt sticking out the bottom of his smock.  Oni came up and hit the ground right next to Rafe with his club.  You can see Vivi yelling "NOOOO!!" on the right.

 Rafe was properly traumatized.  

 So Vivi came to console him.  

 But he was a lost cause.  He spent the rest of the day as close to Okamura sensei as he could get.  

Here's a video taken about 3 minutes in to the experience.  I have watched it so many times . . . The first time I had to watch it just to take in the general splendor of mamemaki, but then I watched it to follow my children's antics.  Rafe is easy to track--he stays plastered to Okamura-sensei the whole video.  Vivi starts in the back by the building, trying to convince a crying Aubrianna to participate, then at about 0:28 she starts considering the red Oni.  At 0:47 she lobs a bean at his back, spends the next few seconds watching closely and throwing beans when it's safe, then around 1:20 heads back to Aubrianna, who is still sobbing.  

It was quite a day for the poor tamago class.

I would be more worried about the psychological damage if I didn't know that Vivi was just as sad last year.

But this year she had a blast!  I was very proud of her.  One, because she has gotten so much braver.

But mostly because she was watching out for her friends and her brother who were sad.  Here she is wiping tears away from Rafe's face while they waited to take class pictures with Oni.  I'm sad the picture I got is blurry.  It was a very sweet moment.  Empathy is happening, people!!  Maybe I'm not such a terrible parent after all!

I am seriously considering finding an Oni mask so we can continue this tradition when we move away.