SPRING SPRING CEREMONY Spring ceremony heralds the arrival of spring, the rebirth of nature after the cold winter. Spring also evokes an urge for cleaning. In the Japanese lunar calendar the arrival of spring is called setsubun. That day all over Japan ceremonies are held which are better known as the “bean-throwing” ceremony. The scattering of roasted soja beans means to chase away evil and to attract good luck. By eating an amount of beans that equals the total of your years on this planet, you will be lucky and healthy. Yamakage Shinto has a secret tradition to make a fire ceremony for setsubun, which aims to purify the individual, the family, the nation and the planet. Holland Yamakage Shinto celebrates the arrival of spring around March 21 with a purifying fire ceremony. During the ceremony newly made omamori are charged with the invigorating energy of nature. The old omamori of the previous year will be burnt and purified. Springceremony attended by the press In 2010 the spring ceremony was attended by Anil Ramdas and Luciana Caputo and their article was published in NRC Handelsblad 2010 March 30. Read the (Dutch) article as PDF In 2009 the spring ceremony was attended by Tjitske Mussche. Her article was published in Het Parool 2009 March 24. Click here to read it (Dutch). In 2009 the spring ceremony was also attended by Dr Aidan Rankin, co-editor of Essence of Shinto. Click here to read his review (English).   © 1981 JAPANESE DUTCH SHINZEN FOUNDATION