also: せちぶん · せちぶ
Setsubun; last day of winter in the traditional calendar; bean-throwing festival
Refers specifically to the day before the beginning of spring (risshun), usually February 3 or 4, celebrated with mamemaki (bean scattering) to drive away evil spirits.
On Setsubun, we scatter beans to drive away the demons.
This year's Setsubun is on February 3rd.
last day of any season (traditional calendar)
Original meaning; now rare outside historical or technical contexts. Refers to the day before the start of each season (risshun, rikka, risshū, rittō) in the old lunisolar calendar.
In the past, not only the day before risshun but also the days before rikka, risshū, and rittō were called setsubun.
初夢 in its archaic sense refers specifically to the dream one has on the night of 節分 (the eve of spring), while 節分 itself is just the calendar day, not the dream.
Setsubun beans; parched soybeans for Setsubun
Standard modern spelling and reading.
Obsolete reading; not used in modern Japanese.
Obsolete reading; not used in modern Japanese.
From the kanji 節 (season) and 分 (division), literally 'seasonal division'. Originally referred to the eve of each of the four seasons in the traditional lunisolar calendar, but now almost exclusively used for the spring Setsubun.