They were relaxing like at home. My son’s cheek turned pink which shows how warm it was in the tent.
By the way, I didn’t have a nice image of camping before. I imagined camping is just cold and damp. I went to Towada lake to camp with my family. I slept wearing pajamas like at home holding my son. It was so warm and cozy. That experience affected my image of camp. I like camping now. My favorite thing of camping is having nap beside the lake just after we get to the place to camp.
The Setsubun festival was sponsored by the Odate Hachiman society as Odate Hachiman shrine.
裃を着た総代さんによる豆まき。
大館八幡の豆は、もう鬼を払っているので、
「福は内!!福は内!!」
の掛け声で豆をまくとのこと。
Representatives wearing kamishiko (the formal attire of samurai ) scattered parched beans to drive out bad luck and call in good luck. They already sent the demons out. So we should shout out “Fuku wa uchi ! (In with fortune!) when we scattered the beans.
大館八幡幼稚園の園児たちも自分で作ったお面をつけ、準備OK!
ワクワク興味津々
豆はまだかなぁ・・・
Children attending Odate Hachiman kindergarten, were already set with the demon masks which they made. They were so excited with the scatting of the beans.
福は内!!
Fuku wa uchi!! (Bring good fortune!!)
かわいい手をひろげ、「こっちだよ~!!」
The kindergarten children were waiting with their cute and tiny hands up in the air to catch the beans.
ポケットいっぱいの豆!
Their pockets were full of beans.
笑顔でチーズ!!
Hi! cheese!
ママたちもステキな笑顔!
Nice smile!
豆まきってたのしい~
We enjoyed a bean-scattering ceremony.
園児たち、そして、みんなの笑顔で凍てつく寒さを感じさせないほどの
活気ある節分祭でした。
We were so absorbed in the festival that we had forgotten all about the cold outside.
After the kids went back inside the fire department had a demonstration for the adults on the use of fire extinguishers. Four of us including myself took turns trying to put out a fairly large fire.