History of this Festival: Previous Articles Upcoming Events First Annual Live Haiku Challenge Friday Feb 4th, 19:00 AWT The Great Bean Hunt Saturday Feb 5th thru the end of the festival The Lantern Festival Lantern Decorating Contest Monday, Feb 7th thru the end of the festival. Bop Nian Tuesday Feb 8th thru the end of the festival The Art of AncientWorlds Members Art Exhibition Wednesday, Feb 9th (Chinese New Year) thru the end of the festival. Senex Caecilius's Lantern Puzzles Thursday, Feb 10th thru the end of the festival A Tour of India Friday, Feb 11th thru the end of the festival More Indian events to be announced. Stay tuned! Allstars of the Orient Neighborhood Block Parties Japan - Saturday, Feb. 5th, Korea Monday, Feb. 7th, China Wednesday, Feb. 9th, Cambodia Friday, Feb. 11th, India Sunday, Feb. 13th.

Welcome to the Orient, here on our first day of festival. We have a full schedule of events for you with something new cropping up almost every day. So we hope you'll join us for as many of our fun-filled activities as time allows. Any changes to the festival plans, good or bad, will be noted here on our Festival Guide. So, be sure to check it often for News and Announcements. As you may already know, the Lunar festival (Feb 4-Feb 13) regroups celebrations from Japan, China, and India. But first things first: yesterday, all over Japan, people have celebrated Setsubun. What is it all about? "Daily News" brings you the answer! Soybeans and leaves from the holy tree: the two most usual tokens of good fortune and purification of the Setsubun celebration Today's event, the Haiku Live Challenge! This long-awaited event (it was first scheduled in December) will open the festivities at 7.00 PM, AW time. Details were unavailable before the deadline for today's edition, but knowing the people behind it, this lack of information is probably not innocent. What have they cooked up for us again, hmmm? Well, rules should be available when you read this on this thread. This event is brought to you by The Ten Philosophers Haiku. What is Setsubun? The origins of the Setsubun celebration can be found long ago in China during the Zhou dynasty (11th century BC). At that time, it was reported that Chinese men in some villages pretended to drive away evil creatures, holding sharp weapons and dressed in bear skins, the face hidden behind a mask. It's only during the Muromashi period (1333-1568) that Setsubun is introduced in Japan. Setsubun means "seasonal seperation" (you can see 'Setsubun' written in Japanese in the plaque above); that's because, according to the Lunar calendar, it is the last day of Winter, before the New Year begins. This is why most traditions surrounding that day revolve about scaring the evil spirits away and welcoming good luck for the rest of the year. The most popular one is the mame-maki, the 'scattering of beans', about which we will report tomorrow. Procession of monks, Asakusa 2004 Public ceremonies and processions occur all over the country, the most famous ones being held at Asakusa and at Tomioka Hachimangu. Among the other celebrations is the eating of a Nori Maki a long sushi roll (20 cm) that has to be eaten facing the lucky direction of the year and in silence; accomplish this, and you'll be rewarded with good fortune in your business and good health. This tradition is especially strong in Western Japan. People decorate holy trees, a Shinto symbol for vitality, supposingly harmful to the ogres, the oni, with other talismans to reinforce its deterrant aspect: a head of sardine, a clove of gralic, or a onion (!). All these traditions are strongly connected with the fact that Japan has long been a country relying mostly on agriculture and the products of the sea to support its economy. It is therefore not surprizing that all these tockens of good fortunes are related to those fields, even 'rolled into one' in the case of the Nori Maki. The fact that the structure of economy as changed, as well as the introduction of the Solar Calendar make Setsubun less meaningful. Nowadays, it's not even considered a public holiday, and although the mame-maki is still performed on a large scale, many Japanese of the latest generations are not aware of the full meaning behind it In tomorrow's edition, discover the mame-maki! Plus, a complete report on the Haiku Live Challenge and the Great Bean Hunt! Our thanks to the following people for their help: Sankira Qin, Orient Lalita Ashoka, Orient Aria Murasaka, Orient Shanti Ashoka, Orient Ai Jimmu, Orient Lotus Horemheb, Egypt Sementawy Horemheb, Egypt Desdemona Eurimedion, Hellas Alerissa Nestor, Hellas Bryce Yupanqui, The Americas Cyhiraeth Volcae, Celtia Diantha Livius, Rome Senex Caecilius, Rome Marduk Hammurabi, Mesopotamia

Great festival!
   
    ~ Sankira Qin