The air is getting crisper. Red lanterns are starting to appear in shop windows from Beijing to Bangkok, from San Francisco’s Chinatown to London’s Soho. Chinese New Year 2026 falls on Tuesday, February 17, and this year’s celebration carries an extra spark of excitement. We are welcoming the Year of […]
New Year and Renewal
100 Happy Chinese New Year Wishes and Messages
The firecrackers are popping. Red lanterns sway from doorways. The smell of dumplings fills every kitchen from Beijing to Bangkok. Chinese New Year 2026 falls on Tuesday, February 17, and this year, we gallop into the Year of the Fire Horse (丙午年)—a rare and powerful combination that only comes around […]
100 Chinese New Year’s Eve Trivia Questions for Families
The smell of sizzling dumplings fills the kitchen. Red lanterns sway outside the front door. Grandma is shuffling mahjong tiles. It’s Chinese New Year’s Eve — or Chúxī (除夕) — and your family is gathered around the table waiting for the reunion dinner to begin. But before the feast, someone […]
Setsubun for Beginners: Easy Ways to Welcome Spring
There is a moment every year when Japan decides it has had enough of winter. It doesn’t arrive quietly. It arrives with fistfuls of roasted soybeans, a thunderous chant of “Oni wa soto! Fuku wa uchi!” (“Demons out! Fortune in!”), and a thick sushi roll eaten in complete silence. This […]
Best Places to Experience Setsubun in Japan 2026
Every February, when the last stubborn chill of winter still grips the Japanese archipelago, something joyful and a little chaotic erupts across the country. Roasted soybeans fly through the air. Children scream with delight. Grown adults in demon masks flee from tiny hands. And somewhere, in a quiet kitchen, a […]
Demons Out! Setsubun 2026 Chants and Rituals Explained
There is something deeply satisfying about hurling a fistful of roasted soybeans at a demon. Not a metaphorical demon. An actual person dressed in a terrifying red-and-blue horned mask, crouching on your doorstep while your children shriek with delight. This is Setsubun — one of Japan’s most beloved seasonal traditions […]
How to Do Mamemaki at Home for Setsubun Success
Every year on February 3, millions of Japanese families open their front doors and hurl roasted soybeans into the cold night air. They shout a phrase that has echoed through Japanese homes for centuries: “Oni wa soto! Fuku wa uchi!” — Demons out! Good fortune in! This is mamemaki (豆まき), […]
Setsubun Festival Foods: From Fukumame to Sushi Rolls
Every winter in Japan, just when the cold feels most stubborn, a quiet shift happens. Families gather around kitchen tables. Supermarket shelves fill with fat sushi rolls and bags of roasted soybeans. Children rehearse a chant they have known since kindergarten: “Oni wa soto! Fuku wa uchi!” — Demons out! […]
Top 10 Ehōmaki Recipes for Setsubun 2026 Luck
Every year, as the last chill of winter settles across Japan, a quiet anticipation fills the aisles of supermarkets, convenience stores, and neighborhood sushi shops. Stacks of plump, uncut sushi rolls wrapped in glossy nori seaweed appear overnight. Hand-lettered signs point toward the lucky direction. Families gather around kitchen tables, […]
What Is Setsubun? History, Customs, and How to Celebrate Japan’s Bean-Throwing Festival in 2026
Every year, as the cold grip of Japanese winter begins to loosen, something unusual happens across the country. Fathers put on fearsome red and blue masks. Children load their tiny fists with roasted soybeans. And then, with gleeful shouts of “Oni wa soto! Fuku wa uchi!” (“Demons out! Good fortune […]