きょう1月15日は〈上元〉、すなわち正月の最終日。東京は、おそらく昭和になってからだと思うが、7日を「松納め」と称してこの日をもって正月の終りとしている。我家でも7日の夜に松飾りを納めた。しかし地方によっては昔ながらの伝統で14日年越しと称して注連飾りを除き、15日を正月終い、すなわち上元としている処もあるかもしれない。
そして15日を〈小正月〉と言い、〈小豆正月（あるいは小豆粥正月）〉と言って、各家庭で小豆粥を食す。この小豆粥を三日後までたくわえて温めて食すと、疫病を免れるという俗信があった。また粥杖と称した柳の枝で女性の腰を叩くと、男の子を妊娠するという信仰もあった。
さて、そんな伝統や俗信を踏まえているのではまったくないが、我家ではやはり昔からこの日に小豆を食すならいである。ただし小豆粥ではない。小豆汁粉である。きょうの昼食は、とりおいた正月用の餅を入れて「善哉しるこ」にした。はたしてCOVID-19を祓うことができるかどうか・・・
明日死ぬる命めでたし小豆粥 虚子
小豆粥あまさも塩の引き出かな 青穹（山田維史）
Today January 15th is 〈
Jhōgen〉, that is, the last day
of the New Year. I think it was after the
Shōwa era in
Tokyo, but the 7th is called "
Matsu-osamé" and this is
the end of the New Year. Even at my house, I removed
the pine decoration on the night of the 7th. However,
in some regions, according to the old tradition, the
14th is called
Jūyokka-
Toshikoshi (The crossing the
New Year in 14th), and the 15th is the New Year, that
is,
Jhōgen.
And the 15th is called 〈
Koshōgatsu (Small New
Year)〉and〈
Adzuki shōgatsu (
Azuki beans New Year),
and each family eats
adzuki bean porrige. There was a
popular belief that if you store this
adzuki bean por-
ridge until three days later, warm it and eat it, you
will be spared the plague. There was also a belief that
if a woman's waist was hit with a willow branch called
Adzukizué (a porridge-cane), she would become preg-
nant a boy.
Well, It's not based on such traditions and popular
beliefs at all, but at my home, my family have always
been to eat
adzuki beans on this day. However, it is
not
adzuki bean porridge. It is
Azuki-shiruko (red bean
soup). Today's lunch was made into "
Zenzai-shiruko"
with the rice cakes which have been stored from the
day of New Year.
Whether COVID-19 can be exterminated ...
【Haiku】
Asu shinuru inochi medetashi azukigayu
Adzuki porridge
that was ordered to die tomorrow,
but life auspicious
By Kyoshi Takahama
Azukigayu amasa mo shio no hikide kana
Adzuki porridge
Sweetness has also drawn
with a little salt 's efforts
By Tadami Yamada
Tadami Yamada
