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What is the Doll Festival?


Among all the seasonal festivals, the Peach Festival is a day of celebration especially for girls.

　

It's the season when the snow begins to melt and the sunshine is refreshing.
The Jōshi Festival is also known as the Peach Festival, as it is celebrated around the time when peach blossoms begin to bloom.
On Hinamatsuri, families with girls decorate their homes with dolls and pray for their healthy growth and happiness.

Since ancient times, Hina dolls have been said to be vessels that take on misfortune and illness in place of the dead. Throughout history, families with daughters have prayed for their daughters to be protected from misfortune and for their growth and happiness so that they may attain happiness in life, and this has woven its way into the celebratory culture and festival of today.

First festival

　


First milestone celebration


Along with the shrine visit and the first meal, the Hatsu-sekku is the first Peach Festival that a child celebrates in their lifetime.
On this special occasion, families gather together to celebrate and express their gratitude for the child's healthy growth.
Since ancient times, seasonal festivals have been considered an opportunity to ward off evil spirits and prepare the body at the change of seasons.
Enjoy watching your baby grow together with you and cherish these emotional milestones.

As the name "seasonal festivals" suggests, they are a time when seasonal changes occur, and it has been said since ancient times that various epidemics and disasters occur along with the change of seasons. Even today, people are prone to falling ill during seasonal changes, and babies in particular need to be careful.
It is said that during these times, rejoicing and celebrating our children's growth will ward off evil spirits, and for us parents, rejoicing in our children's growth is an opportunity and a good time to start anew the next season of life.

Especially in the early years, the feeling of growing up together with your child is something truly special. It's different from birthdays and Christmas. It's a culture of praying for children's growth and happiness at the turning point of the season. It's a form of celebration unique to Japan.


Especially for the first seasonal festival, many families want to celebrate it properly since it is their first seasonal festival.
Girls born in January or February will celebrate the Girls' Festival soon after they are born. In such cases, the celebratory events will be held one after the other, which can be a burden for the newborn baby and the mother. Unlike other celebratory events, the Girls' Festival is characterized by the fact that there is no guideline for the number of days after birth on which it should be celebrated. It is a good idea to consider when to hold the "First Girls' Festival" based on whether or not the baby's first ritual, the "Omiya-mairi," has already been held.
If the first seasonal festival comes before the shrine visit, many children will celebrate their first seasonal festival after they turn one year old.
Celebrating the first festival at a year that suits your family will make it an irreplaceable memory and a wonderful celebration that deepens the bonds between family members.

Also, depending on the region, cultures and ways of celebrating vary, such as celebrating according to the lunar calendar, and while there are regions where old customs are respected, modern customs have changed and traditional events that respect the physical condition and feelings of family members have become mainstream. It is a good idea to discuss this with your family.

  • 1. The origin and history of the Girls' Festival

    *Origin of festivals*

    "Sekku" (seasonal festivals), which signify the turning point of the seasons, have long been said to be times when evil spirits are likely to enter the body, and culture has been passed down through the years and wisdom of various generations. The ancient Japanese customs of "misogiharai" (purification rituals) and of casting off evil spirits by releasing "dolls" were combined with the Chinese customs of warding off misfortune, such as "purifying oneself in a river and holding a banquet at the Imperial Palace on the Jōshi Festival."

    *Heian period*

    During the Heian period, a festival began to be held every year in which a priest would be called in to offer prayers, the dolls would be stroked to ward off bad luck, and offerings would be made before the dolls were released into the water. This became known in Japan as "Nagashibina" and became the root of Hina doll decorations.
    Additionally, among upper-class girls, a form of "house play" called "Hina-asobi" was popular, in which paper dolls and toys made to resemble household items were used.
    Such scenes appear in essays and stories from that time.


    *Muromachi period*

    During the Muromachi period, the upper classes began to decorate dolls and the festival date was set for March 3rd.
    During the Edo period, the Doll's Festival was adopted as an imperial court event, and was also adopted in the shogunate's inner palace.
    Around this time, the Doll's Festival began to spread among the common people, and the custom of celebrating a girl's first Doll's Festival by displaying dolls was born, and the current form of celebrating Girls' Festival by displaying Hina dolls was established.

    *Edo Period*

    In the early Edo period, there was only one pair of dolls for the Emperor and Empress, but in the mid-Edo period, tiered dolls appeared and the number of Hina dolls and accessories, including the Three Court Ladies, increased.

  • 2. Hina dolls and charms

    It is passed down as a "once in a lifetime amulet" from birth until the child becomes independent, with the hope that the child will be protected from misfortune and will be blessed with happiness in life, and it is meant to take on misfortune and epidemics on the child's behalf.

    Even today, Hina dolls are celebrated on Hinamatsuri as charms that bring happiness, embodying the warm feelings of families as they rejoice at the safe birth of their children and give thanks for their healthy growth.

  • 3. When to display Hina dolls?

    　

    The best time is from February 4th (the beginning of spring) to February 19th (Usui) .


    The recommended time to display Hina dolls is between the beginning of spring (around February 4th) and Usui (around February 19th).
    With the onset of spring, when we begin to feel signs of spring, the season reaches a new turning point.
    As the rainy season arrives, the snow falling from the sky gradually turns into rain, and the melting snow from the mountains begins to irrigate the fields.

    This "rain water" has long been considered a time of water blessing and purification.
    The original origin of Hinamatsuri is the custom of "entrusting misfortune to water and letting it flow away," such as the Nagashibina festival, so this time is considered an auspicious time to display Hina dolls.

    There are also families who look at the weather and choose days such as "Taian" (a lucky day) or "Toyobiki" (a lucky day).
    After Setsubun and warding off bad luck, a new season begins...
    Decorate your home with Hina dolls to welcome the arrival of spring and pray for the healthy growth of your children.

    We also receive questions such as, "Is it okay to decorate from January?"
    Some people consider it unlucky because it falls in the third month of the year.

    ◆What is "Sangatsukake"?◆

    Some people believe that a period of three months is bad luck, saying that "you will have hardships all the time." The reason for this is said to be a pun on words. The 49th day and the third month are also considered bad luck, saying that "you will have hardships all the time," and are avoided not only for Buddhist ceremonies but also for weddings, funerals, and other ceremonial occasions.

    However, as mentioned at the beginning, it is a play on words and is thought to have been passed down with the meaning of "don't be too late." There are also areas where the festival is celebrated according to the old calendar, so there is no need to worry about "santsukikake."

  • 4. Who gives the Hina dolls?

    　

    In the past, it was customary for hina dolls to be given by the mother's family.

    The background to this is that Hinamatsuri was considered to be "one of the bride's dowries."

    In the past in Japan, it was customary for the bride's family to provide a dowry and for the bride's parents to provide formal clothing and accessories.

    For this reason, in addition to Hina dolls, many decorations that represent wishes for children's growth, such as shuttlecocks, carp streamers, and Hamayumi bows, have been considered "gifts from the mother's family."

    However, times have changed and our lifestyles have changed.

    You don't have to follow the customs exactly.

    Some families decide on this together, while others give it themselves.

    In addition, there are an increasing number of families where couples choose this option themselves after the birth of their baby.

    What's important is not who gives the gift,

    "It is a gift given in hopes of healthy days to come."

    Deliver that feeling directly.

    This is because Hina dolls will stay with the child for a long time through their life.

    Please choose the one that is most memorable for your family.

  • 5. Celebrate with a celebratory meal

    One of the main events on Hinamatsuri is celebrating with a family meal.

    Nowadays, some families go out to eat, but traditionally, the festival is celebrated at home as a family celebration.

    The celebration will be livened up with auspicious items and colorful spring dishes. The standard dishes are chirashi sushi and clam soup .

    Sweets such as hishi-mochi and hina arare have spring-like colors that will brighten up your dining table.

  • 6. Until what age should Hina dolls be displayed?

    The guideline is [Coming of Age Ceremony or age 20 (18)]

    Considering the meaning of "substitute," it would be ideal to display it until your child becomes independent.
    Hina dolls can be displayed at any age, and there is no specific time set for them to be displayed. Therefore, some books state that it is desirable to display mother and child Hina dolls side by side.

    Among the mothers, there are some who inherited or brought the dolls from their parents' homes as part of their dowry. [Hina dolls are amulets for a child, given only once in a lifetime], so they are given by the parents to display their own Hina dolls at their new home.

    Also, when the Hina dolls are no longer displayed, it is a sign that they have completed their purpose.
    Instead of leaving it stored away in the back of your closet, express your gratitude and take it to a shrine or temple as an offering.

  • 7. "Nochi no Hina" (Adult Hina)

    Ato no Hina is a culture that has been passed down since the Edo period, in which the Hina dolls that were put out for the Girls' Festival are put out again six months later for the Double Ninth Festival to air them out, and to pray for good health, longevity, protection from evil, etc.


    Originally, Hina dolls were symbols of women's happiness, and were treasured as the avatars of people, with the role of taking on misfortune. Treating them with gratitude and prayers, and making them last a long time, is said to bring happiness to the owner.

    These are then put up on display six months later on the Double Ninth Festival, and people pray for eternal youth and longevity, as well as for warding off evil and misfortune.

    On the occasion of the Girls' Festival, peach blossoms are added to the decorations, but on the occasion of the Chrysanthemum Festival, chrysanthemum blossoms are added to the decorations. It is also called the "Adult Girls' Festival," Autumn Hina, or Later Hina , and has been gaining attention in recent years.

  • 8. Peach Festival as one of the five seasonal festivals



    In Japan, the culture of "sekku" (seasonal festivals) to pray for healthy growth and good health at the turning points of the seasons has been passed down. In the past, these were held at the Imperial Court and later spread to the lives of ordinary people, and remnants of this tradition can still be found in our annual events today.

    The Peach Festival is one of the five seasonal festivals. It is one of the most popular festivals, symbolizing the arrival of spring and the budding of life and purity, and praying for the healthy growth of girls.

    Along with the Boys' Festival, which is a festival for boys, the Girls' Festival is an event for making wishes for the beginning of new life , and among the five seasonal festivals, it has become particularly established as a "family event."

    What are the five seasonal festivals? 

  • 　

    The Girls' Festival is a cultural occasion in which families with girls pray for their child's growth and happiness.
    As a culture that can be enjoyed even as adults,
    We hope you enjoy your celebrations forever.