"Hey, Spe. Do you know about the secret meaning behind hanetsuki?"
Grass asks me this as she raises a brush dripping with black ink towards my face.
"The secret meaning behind hanetsuki?"
"Well, the nut at the end of the birdie signifies good health. And the paddle is given as a gift during New Year's in hopes that the recipient will grow up to be healthy and beautiful. Basically, it wards off bad luck."
"Wow!"
"So hanetsuki was never meant to be a competitive game—you hit the birdie back and forth for good health!"
"Whoa, I never would've thought that! If that's how it is, then we gotta keep our rally going for as long as we can! ...Oh, Ms. Wonder! I have a question! Is there also a reason why we paint the loser's face with ink?"
"Great question, Special Week. Some theorize that the black ink was meant to ward off evil spirits, which made painting someone's face an act of protection from potential harm. That way, even if a feather falls off, you can simply paint your face to stay safe."
"So it's not just a punishment for losing! ...All righty!"
Special Week squeezes the brush in her hand and takes a deep breath.
"One large circle around your right eye so you can run all year without getting hurt. A diagonal line on your left cheek so you don't get sick. And another line on your left cheek to make an 'x' so you can eat lots of yummy food and laugh a whole bunch!"
"I put my well-wishes into every stroke, so let's keep running together as both rivals and friends—now and forever!"
"Thank you so much, Spe! Hehe, I think you used a bit too much ink though."
"Huh? Whoa! You're right—I'm so sorry!"
Grass asks me this as she raises a brush dripping with black ink towards my face.
"The secret meaning behind hanetsuki?"
"Well, the nut at the end of the birdie signifies good health. And the paddle is given as a gift during New Year's in hopes that the recipient will grow up to be healthy and beautiful. Basically, it wards off bad luck."
"Wow!"
"So hanetsuki was never meant to be a competitive game—you hit the birdie back and forth for good health!"
"Whoa, I never would've thought that! If that's how it is, then we gotta keep our rally going for as long as we can! ...Oh, Ms. Wonder! I have a question! Is there also a reason why we paint the loser's face with ink?"
"Great question, Special Week. Some theorize that the black ink was meant to ward off evil spirits, which made painting someone's face an act of protection from potential harm. That way, even if a feather falls off, you can simply paint your face to stay safe."
"So it's not just a punishment for losing! ...All righty!"
Special Week squeezes the brush in her hand and takes a deep breath.
"One large circle around your right eye so you can run all year without getting hurt. A diagonal line on your left cheek so you don't get sick. And another line on your left cheek to make an 'x' so you can eat lots of yummy food and laugh a whole bunch!"
"I put my well-wishes into every stroke, so let's keep running together as both rivals and friends—now and forever!"
"Thank you so much, Spe! Hehe, I think you used a bit too much ink though."
"Huh? Whoa! You're right—I'm so sorry!"