Setsubun No Hi

Before I go on with the Hawaii trip pictures I've decided to blog about today. Today is Setsubun no Hi in Japan. It's a day to welcome Spring where we do a bean throwing ceremony called Makemaki. We throw beans out the door or at an Oni (Demon) so that we can ward away the evil from last year and bring in good fortune this year. We did this in my classroom today & it was one of the most hilarious things I have ever witnessed. My students are kindergarteners & about 80% of them hid behind me & cried the whole time while trying to throw beans at the Oni. The crying did not cease until about 20-30 minutes after the event was over. I could also hear the children from other classes freaking out too. I have never had so many children run & hide behind me soooo quickly. I also ate some beans for good luck & helped the kids with their Oni masks. Work was quite fun today.