Hinamatsuri - Happy Girl's Day

     Yup, I'm going to say it again, "I love Japanese holidays!" Ok well this one isn't quite a holiday but more of a festival, but everyone decorates for it, so in my eyes it's a holiday. It is celebrated every year on March 3rd.  Also known as the Doll Festival, Hinamatsuri, is a day when people pray for the health and happiness of little girls. A great idea if I do say so myself! You can enjoy these beautiful displays of dolls, on a seven tiered stands, all over the city. There is a certain order to their placement. On the top tier are the emperor and empress in traditional court dress. Then each tier below them are various court officials, musicians, wise men and supplies for any festivities the dolls may need. 

     

     The sets are put out around the end of February and taken down no later than March 4th. If you fail to take them down by the appointed date bad luck and misfortune will befall the female members or the dolls may come to life and wreak some havoc on the household. So for those of you who leave your Christmas tree up until February, this holiday isn't for you. 

     Why do they put hina ningyo out? The tradition dates back to the 8th century. It derives from the combination of a doll (hina) play during the Heian period and nagashibina which is a ceremony where simples dolls made by paper and straw are thrown into the ocean or river after transferring bad luck and misfortune to them. Setting out hina ningyo is a family's wish that a girl will grow soundly to be a healthy and caring woman. These dolls are definitely not the ones you want to toss into the ocean. They can run thousands of dollars a piece. They are passed down from female generation to female generation and can take many such generations to accumulate an entire set.