noun
critical year in one's life; inauspicious year
Refers to the main year of a person's 厄年 (やくどし), a traditional belief that certain ages bring bad luck or calamity. For men, it is typically ages 25, 42, and 61; for women, 19, 33, and 37, with 本厄 being the central, most dangerous year among the three-year period (前厄, 本厄, 後厄).
See also: 厄年
今年は本厄だから、お祓いに行こうと思う。
Since this year is my main inauspicious year, I'm thinking of going for a purification ritual.
本厄の年には、神社で厄除けの祈祷をしてもらう人が多い。
In the main inauspicious year, many people have a prayer for warding off evil performed at a shrine.
後厄 is the year after 本厄, when the bad luck is believed to gradually subside.
Compound of 本 (ほん, 'main') and 厄 (やく, 'misfortune'), referring to the principal year of calamity in the traditional 厄年 system. The exact historical origin of 厄年 is uncertain, but it has been part of Japanese folk belief for centuries.