Listening

Warm Up

Helpful Words and Phrases

Listen and repeat.

  1. lunar
    • ex. Many Asian countries celebrate the Lunar New Year in late January or early February.
  2. ward off
    • ex. The villagers lit fires to ward off wild animals at night.
  3. chant
    • ex. Monks chant prayers every morning at the temple.
  4. a ritual
    • ex. The wedding ritual included traditional music and dance.
  5. symbolically
    • ex. The teacher lit a candle to symbolically start the school event.

Article

Read the article below and answer your tutor's questions.

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Hundreds of people gathered at Hakone Shrine in Japan to celebrate Setsubun, a traditional event marking the last day of winter. Setsubun, also called “mame-maki” or “bean throwing,” is held around February 3, just before the start of spring in the lunar calendar. During the festival, people throw roasted soybeans to ward off evil spirits and invite good luck for the new season.

The custom comes from ancient beliefs about seasonal change. Long ago, people thought the change between seasons was a dangerous time when sickness and bad luck could enter daily life. To protect themselves, they threw lucky beans at demons while chanting a phrase that means “demons out, fortune in.” Families perform the ritual at home, while shrines and temples hold larger public ceremonies.

Hakone Shrine, built more than 1,200 years ago near Lake Ashi west of Tokyo, is known for its traditional ceremonies. At the annual winter festival, visitors arrived quietly as priests led prayers despite the cold weather. Part of the ceremony is a performance in which a priest pulls a demon figure across the lake to symbolically remove bad luck from the community.

This material was based on an article by The Associated Press.
Photo Credits: The Associated Press

Discussion

Choose a topic and discuss the questions with your tutor.

Customs and Rituals

  • Do you strictly follow your country’s customs, rituals, and traditions? Why or why not? Discuss.
  • In your opinion, should schools teach students about traditional events and customs? Why or why not? Discuss.
  • Hakone Shrine was built 1,200 years ago and is still famous for its traditional ceremonies today. Why do you think people still keep and celebrate traditional ceremonies and rituals? Discuss.

Luck and Fortune

  • Do you have any "lucky" objects or rituals that you do before something important, like an exam or a job interview? Why or why not? Discuss.
  • Do you believe that "evil spirits" or "bad luck" can be scared away? Why or why not? Discuss.
  • If you could create your own ritual or way to invite good luck, what would it be? Discuss.