Doll Festival

Doll Festival or Girls' Day is held on March 3.

At the Orion square in the shopping mall of Orion street, many Hina dolls were displayed and dancing shows were performed on the stage.

We also displayed dolls at home to wish for our daughters' healthy growth and happiness.

Hina Dolls Wait For A Display.

Most Japanese families having girls celebrate Hinamatsuri Festival on March 3rd by displaying Hina dolls at their homes. We have not been an exception of it for seventeen years since our elder daughter was born.

But, we were very busy handling a lot of chores last couple of weeks. So, we haven’t displayed Hina dolls this year.

One of headaches is water leakage from the wall of our condominium. We had to move tons of goods in one room to the other for repairing the wall.

The construction workers are scheduled to come again tomorrow. They said it would take more three to four days to complete. Sigh…

I took the picture a few years ago. The doll is now in a dark closet with other dolls, waiting for being displayed again, maybe, one year later.

-

A Doll's Festival Celebrated for Girls

Hinamatsuri is a seasonal festival (called sekku) on March 3. Also it is considered as a day for girls, most families with girls display a set of dolls to wish for girls' healthy growth and happiness.

The practice of displaying dolls dates back in the early Edo period (1603-1868). A set of hina dolls is put on display up to a few weeks earlier than March 3rd and stored for the next year.

A popular superstition states that if the family forgets to retire the whole set before the night of March 4, the girl will not marry before the next year.

We intentionally keep them on display more few weeks. How come?

We were so busy that we were late to display them.
And also, I think that dolls want to sit there at least until the end of this month.


"Shinno-kazari" which includes "odairi-sama," emperor and empress dolls wearing typical Heian era court costumes.