Hinamatsuri, also known as Girls’ Day, is a celebration that occurs annually on March 3rd in honor of girls in Japan.

History

The celebration stems from an old purification ceremony known as "o-harae". The imperial court practiced these rituals twice a year, by writing bad fortunes onto paper, wood, or straw dolls then releasing them into a river or ocean in hopes that they would be swept away. Some regions in Japan still practice these rituals by floating paper boats down rivers.

In the Edo Era, these rituals became popular among common people with a shift towards displaying dolls for protection of health and happiness. The earliest record is from 1625 when the women in the imperial court provided dolls for Emperor Go-Mizunoo’s daughter. When she succeeded the throne in 1687, Hinamatsuri legally became a holiday and the production of various "hina-ningyo" (ornamental dolls) were produced around the country.  

Customs

At the center of the festivities are the hina-ningyo (ornamental dolls). At the top of the display are the imperial female and male dolls (mebina and obina, respectively) that represent the bride and groom from a Heian period wedding.

Displays of the dolls range from just one tier (tiers being called hinadan) to up to seven tiers (shichidan). These tiers can include attendant dolls, musician dolls, peach, cherry, and plum blossom trees, snacks, and miniature household goods such as shelves and swords that would be gifted on a wedding day.

The hina-kazari (Hina decoration) is traditionally bought for girls by their maternal grandparents before their hinamatsuri debut, or passed down from generation to generation as an heirloom. The hina-kazari is brought out from storage a few days before hinamatsuri to be set up and decorated by mothers and their daughters and are taken down immediately the day after on March 4th. Waiting longer to put them away, by superstition, is believed to result in late or no marriage for the girls in the future. However, in recent years, some homes and many festivals around Japan leave the dolls on display for a few weeks or a whole month.

With city life and more moving around than in past generations, some families opt for smaller, unique hina-ningyo options, such as palm-sized ones made of glass or porcelain, or displays to hang on walls.

Feast

During hinamatsuri, girls and their mothers host parties together for friends and family in a vibrant and colorful celebration. Guests enjoy chirashizushi (raw fish, vegetables, and/or scrambled egg served on rice in a big decorative bowl), hina-arare (rice crackers), hishimochi (white, green, and pink colored mochi), sakura mochi (red bean paste pastry wrapped in a sakura leaf), and amazake (sweet non-alcoholic sake) or shirozake (white sake). Celebrations often take place in the home where the dolls can be viewed or outdoors for a picnic.

About the author: Nina M. Cataldo is a Japan-born, US-raised hafu (half-Japanese) writer currently residing back in Tokyo. She is a travel writer whose passion is to share the stories of local people and cultures with readers worldwide. When she isn’t off exploring new parts of Japan, she’s busy organizing events for her fellow mixed-Japanese community as the founder of the “Hafu Ladies” group (on Facebook). Follow her travels on Instagram @nextstop_nina and her daily life @ninalalala