Eating Rolled Sushi Brings Good Luck And Dry Sardines Protect you?

I'd like to continue the same topic about "Setsubun Day(Feb. 3rd)" today. As I introduced yesterday, Japanese people eat roasted the same number of soy beans as their own age on Setsubun Day to wish a healthy year. Actually there are more traditional customs relating food on this day. Let's take a look at other Setsubun food!

Many people also eat an un-sliced whole rolled sushi on Setsubun Day as shown in the upper left hand side photo. Although it was originally a local Setsubun custom in Western Japan, it became common all over the country these days since supermarkets and convenience store industries thought it would be a good business chance to sell lots of rolled sushi and started to advertise the custom. According to the custom, eating whole rolled sushi facing the lucky direction of the year based on the Chinese zodiac animal symbol of the year would bring a good luck. Therefore, nowadays many shops sell un-sliced whole rolled sushi on Setsubun day with information on the lucky direction of the year. Apparently the lucky direction of 2016 is south-southeast.

Also there is another custom since old times to eat grilled dry sardines for Setubun. Dry sardines are very common food in Japan especially sardines on a stick called "Mezashi". The fish's eyes are stabbed by a stick to hang them to dry. It is one of the traditional styles for dried fish. However it has been said that Japanese ogres hate the smell of dry sardines when they are grilled moreover when people stab some heads of dry sardines on a holly branch and display it on their porch it will threaten ogres to stab their own eyes. Most people don't eat heads of dry sardines, so the left over food became a strong weapon against ogres. Also the smell of eaten grilled sardines can protect people's body against ogres. Ancient people created a very practical scheme utilizing food waste to drive away ogres.