The two sides of Setsubun

We have been working to make Setsubun a fun holiday for my son.  He has enjoyed all the prep work of making masks and hearing stories about Oni.  He had a great time at school on Friday, chasing Oni with his friends. 

Today was a bit of a roller coaster regarding the celebration.  We went shopping this morning to get our futomaki (sushi roll) for dinner, a couple items from the stationary store, and bread from the bakery.  We also picked up lunch that we enjoyed at a picnic table near the shops. 

While we were eating, our son saw IMA-Nyan at the top of the escalator.  He wanted to go see the big blue cat, as it is always fun for him.  When his dad returned from checking on our bikes, he rode the escalator up by himself toward IMA-Nyan and his dad.  As he neared the top of the escalator he saw Oni (actually Namahage) and it scared him.  He immediately about-faced and tried to run down the escalator.  Since daddy was at the top, he reluctantly let the stairs take him all the way up.  Once he was on the first floor, he jumped into his dad's arms and proceeded to scream any time Oni came near him.  Daddy held him and kept a safe distance until they could safely come back down the escalator.  Daddy then explained that Oni was looking for "bad children" and since our son wasn't bad, he didn't have anything to be afraid of.  After a couple hugs and some more reassurance from daddy, we were ready to leave the shopping center.

Our son knew he was going to see Oni again, as well as IMA-Nyan dressed up in a Setsubun costume.  But this time, he was not afraid.  He knew Oni was not interested in him.  He stood back, holding hands with daddy while I took a few photos.  While I was focused on the Oni, I noticed several parents taking their screaming kids right up to the Oni and the Oni would dance around the kid. 

It was one of those moments I wanted to say something, but the only person who would listen was my husband and he reminded me that this is the way Setsubun has been celebrated in Japan for centuries.  This isn't the first time I have had this quandary.

I headed home for a bit and my husband and son went to park for some serious play time.  We were all scheduled to go to the mamemaki (bean throwing ceremony at the shrine), but our son decided he would rather stay at the park. 

When they finally came back home, we enjoyed our futomaki and my husband also made a fantastic soup for dinner. 

As soon as we were done with dinner, we chased Oni with peanuts (aka daddy) to chase away the bad luck he was trying to bring us.  We laughed and laughed as we played. 

This holiday can be really fun or really scary.  It just depends on how you approach it.