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Description

My university illustration project for the last semester was a calendar dedicated to Japanese most colorful and significant festivals. I'm quite happy with how the whole thing turned out, and wanted to share if not the calendar itself, but illustrations at least)

Unlike my previous project on slavic mythology, here I'm researching and illustrating the culture to which I do not belong. Therefore, despite cheking various sources, I cannot be 100% sure of not making any cultural mistakes either in a discriptions or illustrations. If there are any — please, let me know!)
The holiday of seasonal division Setsubun (節分) — is the day before the beginning of a new season of the year, but usually the term refers to the spring. Setsubun is celebrated yearly on February 3 as part of the Spring Festival. In its association with the Lunar New Year, spring Setsubun can be and was previously thought of as a sort of New Year's Eve. Historically the holiday originates in Kansai region, but later has spread all across the Japan.
An important part of the festival is a ritual of purification in a form of scaring away Oni (demons). This ritual is called mamemaki (literally "bean scattering"). Well, it is in the name — people literally scare away oni by throwing roasted beans at them (specifically, at the door or at hte persons dressed as oni). It is performed both at home and at the temple's festivals. 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.
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Праздник разделения сезонов (節分) — последний день перед началом каждого сезона, но обычно это понятие относят к наступлению весны. Фактически Сэцубун — японский Новый год по лунному календарю. Исторически праздник относился к региону Кансай (Осака-Киото), но затем распространился на всю Японию. Праздник связан с ритуалом изгнания демонов-они. Для этого используются соевые бобы, которые разбрасываются как дома возле Камидана, так и в буддистских и синтоистских храмах по всей Японии. Жареные соевые бобы дома обычно разбрасывает мужчина, родившийся в год соответствующего животного по лунному календарю, но иногда специально приглашают прославленных людей — политиков, артистов, борцов сумо, майко. В храмах бобы нередко заворачивают в золотую или серебряную фольгу.

Description

My university illustration project for the last semester was a calendar dedicated to Japanese most colorful and significant festivals. I'm quite happy with how the whole thing turned out, and wanted to share if not the calendar itself, but illustrations at least)

Unlike my previous project on slavic mythology, here I'm researching and illustrating the culture to which I do not belong. Therefore, despite cheking various sources, I cannot be 100% sure of not making any cultural mistakes either in a discriptions or illustrations. If there are any — please, let me know!)
The holiday of seasonal division Setsubun (節分) — is the day before the beginning of a new season of the year, but usually the term refers to the spring. Setsubun is celebrated yearly on February 3 as part of the Spring Festival. In its association with the Lunar New Year, spring Setsubun can be and was previously thought of as a sort of New Year's Eve. Historically the holiday originates in Kansai region, but later has spread all across the Japan.
An important part of the festival is a ritual of purification in a form of scaring away Oni (demons). This ritual is called mamemaki (literally "bean scattering"). Well, it is in the name — people literally scare away oni by throwing roasted beans at them (specifically, at the door or at hte persons dressed as oni). It is performed both at home and at the temple's festivals. 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.
________________
Праздник разделения сезонов (節分) — последний день перед началом каждого сезона, но обычно это понятие относят к наступлению весны. Фактически Сэцубун — японский Новый год по лунному календарю. Исторически праздник относился к региону Кансай (Осака-Киото), но затем распространился на всю Японию. Праздник связан с ритуалом изгнания демонов-они. Для этого используются соевые бобы, которые разбрасываются как дома возле Камидана, так и в буддистских и синтоистских храмах по всей Японии. Жареные соевые бобы дома обычно разбрасывает мужчина, родившийся в год соответствующего животного по лунному календарю, но иногда специально приглашают прославленных людей — политиков, артистов, борцов сумо, майко. В храмах бобы нередко заворачивают в золотую или серебряную фольгу.