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Hinamatsuri,
Festival of Dolls
Meiko
Kodaira with Ed. Staff
 Hinamatsuri
takes place on March 3, and is the day that families pray
for the happiness and prosperity of their girls, helping to
ensure that they grow up healthy and beautiful. Families who
have daughters display special dolls for this festival and
dedicate them to peach blossoms. Hinamatsuri is also called
Momo no Sekku meaning Peach Festival.
Why
is this day dedicated to the peach blossom? In Japan, the
peach blossom is a symbol for happy marriage because of the
way and the time the tree blooms. The time between the end
of February and beginning of March is when winter turns to
spring and is also the time when the peach tree blooms,
changing people’s view from monotone to something
colorful. Moreover, the blossoms represent the feminine
traits of gentility, composure and tranquility.
 The
history of Hinamatsuri is very long. It is not known exactly
when it began, but it was mentioned in “The Tale of Genji,”
a book written by Murasaki Shikibu, and "Makura no
Soushi" by Seishou Nagon in the Heian Period
(794-1192), about 1000 years ago. At that time, people
prayed to be healthy and to have fortune at the beginning of
spring in March. People asked psychics to pray and to offer
up food for the Gods. These psychics would remove evil
spirits from the land and transfer these ill fortunes and
sickness to dolls. After that, the psychics throw the dolls
into the river or the sea.
This
tradition was not specifically for girls at this point.
However, it was becoming common that girls in high society
would play with dolls. These dolls, called "hina,"
were made of paper, wood, clay, and other things they used
in their everyday life. Time passed year after year, and
eventually these two customs were mixed up. The practice of
displaying these dolls on the third day of the third month
on the traditional Japanese calendar began during the Edo
Period (1603-1868).
A set of Hina dolls usually consists of at least 15
dolls which wear the costumes of a Heian Period Imperial
court. The display also includes miniature household
articles which are often exquisite artistic productions. The
most highly valued dolls are the Dairi-sama, which represent
the Emperor and Empress in resplendent court costumes of
silk. They are attended by their two Ministers, three kanjo
(Court Ladies), and five Court Musicians. All are displayed
on one of usually five steps, each from 3 to 6 feet-long and
covered with bright red cloth, making the figures look like
they are sitting on a red carpet. The Imperial couple
occupies the top step, the Emperor to the left of the
Empress. The Court Ladies and banquet trays and dishes
occupy the second tier, and the other dolls are arranged on
the lower tiers.
-
 Sitting
at the top center are Emperor and Empress. They are wearing
the twelve-layered ceremonial robe called juhni-hitoe).
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On the
next step stand three Court Ladies.
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On the
3rd step play five Musicians.
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On the
lowest two steps are miniatures of tableware used to serve
these people.
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Small set
with Court house: two Warriors guard the Court people.
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On the
right are peach blossoms.
These
dolls are not played with but are ceremonial dolls, an
heirloom of the household, many of them handed down from
generation to generation. During festival time, they are
displayed for a few days in the best room of the house, and,
after March 3, they
are carefully boxed and put away until the next year.
Parents buy new sets of dolls for any girls born since the
preceding festival, and relatives and friends make gifts of
the dolls.
 In
families with girls, parents start to display the Hina dolls
about 2 weeks before the day of Hinamatsuri.
It is kind of troublesome to set them up in the
average Japanese house, which does not have so much space.
The dolls are usually displayed in the living room,
where the family gathers and guests come to visit. It is
easiest to have just one girl and one Hina doll set, but
most households with 2 or more girls will have just one Hina
doll set for all the sisters.
Whether
the Hina doll set is a one-step type with only an Emperor
and Princess or a 7-step type with extra servants and
musicians, people display and celebrate the holiday the
same. Most families have a doll set which been handed down
from grandmother to mother, mother to daughter, and these
dolls are brought as part of her bridal trousseau when she
gets married.
There
are some special foods that are eaten on Hinamatsuri day. A
sweet snack only for Hinamatsuri is called Hina arare
(grilled pieces of rice cake), and hishimochi (diamond
shaped rice cakes with pink, green and white layers) are
placed in front of the Hina dolls as an offering. A sweet
drink called shirozake is made from fermented rice.
It is kind of sake, but it doesn’t have alcohol, so
it is okay for children to have. Besides all this, sushi is
often offered.
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| Hina
Arare |
Hishimochi |
Sushi |
Enjoying
sweets, shirozake and sushi, the family sings the
Hinamatsuri Song to celebrate the girls’ happiness.
The song is really famous, and it seems like every
Japanese person knows it.
It depicts a happy Hinamatsuri.
  However,
the customs I have just explained is the old style of
Hinamatsuri. Nowadays,
confection shops compete with each other to sell special
Hinamatsuri cakes. It
is quite popular to have Hinamatsuri cake with the special
dishes mentioned before.
The cake is just ordinary cake, with a little Emperor
and Princess made of sugar sitting on it.
After
Hinamatsuri day, parents have to put the dolls away as soon
as possible. It
has to be done as soon as possible, because there is a
tradition that says if they don't, their
girl will not able to marry or will be late to marry.
However, it's not just like cleaning your room. You
have to treat them special care, put in moth repellent, and
put in the appropriate boxes.
Neglecting them will do the dolls harm, and you might
not find them as nice the next year.
Therefore, many families have to leave it until the
weekend to get the job done.
You
can buy Hina dolls in some Japanese markets in L.A.
The prices vary depend on the type and quality.
Or, you can find them on the websites of doll
manufacturers in Japan.
Here are some of them.
(Some of them are Japanese language sites, but you
can look at the pictures.) Check out the different types of
Hina dolls.
Even though
Hinamatsuri is not a national holiday, it is still quite
important for girls to celebrate.
Almost all girls in Japan have Hina dolls, and it is
a bit of concern what types (how many steps, how big, how it
looks) the other girls have.
Parents with little girls are very keen to celebrate
this day.
The meaning
of Hinamatsuri is to celebrate girls' happiness, and the
long history of Hinamatsuri makes us realize how much
parents valued the daughters happiness.
Grandmother to mother, mother to daughter, the wish
for children’s happiness is forever.
The Hinamatsuri Song
Akari o
tsukemashou bonbori ni
Ohana o
agemashou momo no hana
Go-nin
bayashi no fue taiko
Kyo wa
tanoshii Hinamatsuri
Let's light
the lanterns
Let's set
peach flowers
Five court
musicians are playing flutes and drums
Today is a
joyful Dolls' Festival
from
About.com
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