According to my semi-well read understanding of Japanese culture derived from my own experience and wiki reading, Setsubun means a change of season. In particular, Japanese culture regards spring setsubun with importance and it coincides in the neighborhood of chinese new years (although I know that Japanese setsubun and Chinese new years do not occur on the same day. also, Japanese celebrate New years day on western calener, so do not celebrate chinese new years, at least I don't).
Anyway, in this spring setsubun the Japanese celebrate the wholesomeness by casting the evil goblin outside of the house by throwing dry-bakes soy beans. This throwing of soy-beans is often accompanied with aiming at the masked goblin, who is a disguise of the head of the household (i.e. father, which in this case is me), being casted away by children of the house with a phrase "Oni wa Soto, Fuku wa Uchi". Later you are supposed to eat the beans to the amount of children's age (though this may be a house rule).
No we are not heathen. At least we don't play with turkey's sternum after the celebratory meal.
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