Hinamatsuri or Happy Girls Day ^^.
Here’s a short explanation of Hinamatsuri
The custom of displaying dolls began during the Heian period. Formerly, people believed the dolls possessed the power to contain bad spirits. Hinamatsuri traces its origins to an ancient Japanese custom called hina-nagashi (雛流し?, lit. “doll floating”), in which straw hina dolls are set afloat on a boat and sent down a river to the sea, supposedly taking troubles or bad spirits with them. The Shimogamo Shrine (part of the Kamo Shrine complex in Kyoto) celebrates the Nagashibina by floating these dolls between the Takano and Kamo Rivers to pray for the safety of children. People have stopped doing this now because of fishermen catching the dolls in their nets. They now send them out to sea, and when the spectators are gone they take the boats out of the water and bring them back to the temple and burn them.
The customary drink for the festival is shirozake, a sake made from fermented rice. A colored hina-arare, bite-sized crackers flavored with sugar or soy sauce depending on the region, and hishimochi, a diamond-shaped colored rice cake, are served.[3] Chirashizushi (sushi rice flavored with sugar, vinegar, topped with raw fish and a variety of ingredients) is often eaten. A salt-based soup called ushiojiru containing clams still in the shell is also served. Clam shells in food are deemed the symbol of a united and peaceful couple, because a pair of clam shells fits perfectly, and no pair but the original pair can do so.
There are also dolls that people can buy that can range in the thousands of dollars for a pretty nice set.
I’ve never done any of that stuff listed above lol. I remember back in elementary/primary school all we did was put up the girls chairs today and it was vice versa on boys day. Mochi is commonly eaten now and my brother bought some yesterday.
Btw, can you guess which picture I picked and which picture Tomoyo picked that’s posted at the top xD?
Do any of you celebrate girls day? If so, how?
Related posts:
Lylibellule
March 4th, 2010
I bet you picked Hello Kitty!
“Girls Day” is also know here in Belgium but no particular celebration are related unfortunately.
So despite to profit from our husbands (or boyfriends) to receive a gift or a “restaurant-cuddlings” evening. Nothing else is plan for this day.
Lylibellule´s last blog ..Big lOOts!
divinelight
March 4th, 2010
we don’t really have the day for the girls, but turning 17, girls usually put a party together, is that the same or not? Because I know Hinamatsuri is when girls turning 20.
divinelight´s last blog ..Recreation – Taman Bunga Mekarsari (Mekarsari Flower Park)
AS
March 5th, 2010
@Lylibellule: Technically I picked both lol. Hello Kitty was Tomoyo’s choice though. Personally we both would have preferred another Hello Kitty picture with her in another kimono and Japanese wig but couldn’t find it.
@divinelight: A coming of age ceremony/party I assume. Japan has that tool though it’s on a separate day and is celebrated with boys too every year on the second Monday of January.
lovelyduckie
March 5th, 2010
You know, I have no idea if we have a girls day…
lovelyduckie´s last blog ..Last Week’s Haul