Check out the creepy Danny DeVito shrine some college students made

2018-11-19 11:14 Last Updated At：11:23

The man himself even caught wind of it, tweeting: ‘Your shrine honors me.’

A rather strange shrine to actor Danny DeVito at a university in New York has got the internet talking.

The shrine, which was located in a bathroom at Purchase College, State University of New York, comprises pictures of the It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia actor as well as coins and other such things.

It’s … interesting.

Images of the shrine have caused quite a stir on Twitter but Kaitlin Balfe, 18, a student at SUNY Purchase, told the Press Association: “I found out about the shrine through a friend who went. It was super low key, not a lot of people knew about it.

“The shrine’s funny. You walk in and people’s offerings are just obvious junk (they) had in their pockets.

“I left a coin when I went the first time, and later went with a friend with pictures of Danny we printed out.

“It’s kinda just a huge meme that really would only be found at SUNY Purchase.

“Like, no one who goes here is at all surprised it’s there. It’s people who don’t go here who are freaking out.”

The shrine was reportedly shut down once the school found out about it but not before the man himself had been alerted.

“Your shrine honors me,” DeVito tweeted.

“My heart is filled with love and garbage. Tomorrow, as you may know, is my name day.

“Do something that makes you feel good. Above all be kind to each other. Pick up trash, recycle, and be aware of plastics in the ocean.”

The Purchase College Twitter account has since contacted DeVito regarding the shrine, tweeting: “We’d like to say we’re surprised, but our students are well known for their creativity and sense of humor. @DannyDeVito we’d love to welcome you on campus to meet your super fans.”

Students at the college appear to have gone one step further, with a petition doing the rounds which aims to secure DeVito as the Purchase College Commencement Speaker for 2019.

Is this the start of a blossoming relationship between the school and the actor?

AP PHOTOS: Japanese mark the end of winter with bean-throwing ritual to ward off evil spirits

2025-02-02 21:17 Last Updated At：21:21

TOKYO (AP) — Hundreds of people gathered Sunday at a Buddhist temple in downtown Tokyo, eagerly stretching their hands to catch the dried soybeans thrown at them in the hope of warding off evil spirits and inviting good luck.

Japan’s annual ritual of “mame-maki,” or bean-throwing, at Buddhist temples, Shinto shrines and homes sees people marking “setsubun,” the last day of the winter in the Japanese lunar calendar. Like rice, soybeans are considered a symbol of vitality and purity.

Inside the Zojoji temple in Tokyo, a number of people including sumo wrestlers, actors and other celebrities, dressed in formal kimonos, stood on an elevated podium, excitedly throwing the dried soybeans as the crowds gathered to happily pick the small packs of “fukumame.”

“Oniwa soto, Fukuwa uchi!” or “Demons out, fortune in!” everyone chanted in sync, loudly enough to be heard outside the temple, where hundreds queued up for the next session.

While the ritual is usually held outside, the rain on Sunday forced everyone to take cover inside the Zojoji temple.

Some lucky participants like Utako Iibuchi and her husband Masaaki collected about 20 packages of soybean, snacks and “mochi” rice cakes. The couple is a regular at the temple’s annual event. “This is the first time we’ve collected so much,” a beaming Utako Iibuchi said.

Japanese people also hold bean-throwing rituals at home, where usually the elder family member wears a red-faced demon mask and throws the beans at the others. Afterward, they eat the same number of beans as their age plus one, for good luck and health.

Bean events at home are largely for families with children, but the Consumer Affairs Agency has advised parents not to feed the dried soybeans to those under five to avoid risks of choking.