One Japanese folk tradition to bring good fortune to children has them crying in fear.
Every year on the day before the lunar New Year (or “setsubun” in Japanese), an elderly man dresses up as a demon to scare the children into crying.
The more tears, the more good luck.
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The demon grandpa is known as Motto-Mo-Jii and shouts “Motto-Mo!” to frighten the children.
Some children burst into tears and fought to get away from Motto-Mo-Jii, while some held a stone-cold expression and held in their tears.
The tradition is celebrated in the small towns of Teguma and Kakidomari, both in the Nagasaki prefecture of Japan.
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Setsubun is traditionally celebrated across Japan by a bean throwing ceremony, where roasted soybeans are tossed to expel evil spirits while bringing in good fortune.
This year’s setsubun fell on Feb. 3.
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