Hina Matsuri, Girl’s Day on March 3

March 3 is Hina Matsuri (Doll or Girls’ Festival) when people pray for the happiness and healthy growth of girls. Families with young daughters mark this day by setting up a display of dolls inside the house and offer Hina-arare rice crackers and other food to the dolls.

Traditionally, this day is called Joushi (上巳) or Momo no Sekku (Girl’s Day), one of the five days in the year, each announces the change of the season in the traditional Japanese calendar. It is said that Joushi was first celebrated by courtiers during the Heian period (794-1192). On the third of the lunar month, courtiers floated rice wine down a stream in the palace garden. Each guest would take a sip and then write a poem called Waka (和歌). At some point, paper dolls were introduced and this gradually began to be celebrated as Girl’s Day. In some rural parts of the country, people would release paper dolls into rivers after the festival to be washed away, praying that the dolls would take people's place in carrying away sickness and bad luck and pray for health and prosperity. The event is also celebrated with bowls of claim broth. Claims are thought to be a symbol of luck in marriage for girls, as one half of a claim shell will only match perfectly with its other half, and no other half.


Display of dolls in a five-tier decoration platform

While it’s rare to see several tiered platform display like the picture above in a small crammed apartment in big cities, it’s more common to see a single-tiered decorations with one male and one female doll that to do not take up much space and at the same time parents are able to celebrate this occasion with their daughters.

Nevertheless in a traditional house, different dolls wear costumes of the imperial court during the Heian period and are placed on a tiered platform covered with red felt. The size of the dolls and number of steps vary, but usually the displays are of five or seven layers.
The top tier is reserved for the emperor and the empress. A miniature gilded folding screen is placed behind them. On the second tier are three ladies-in-waiting, and on the third are five male court musicians. Ministers sit on either side of trays of food on the fourth step, and the fifth row features guards flanked by an orange tree to the left and a cherry tree to the right.
 
These days, most families take their beautiful collection of dolls out of the closet around mid-February and put it away again as soon as Hinamatsuri is over. This is because of an old superstition that families that are slow in putting back the dolls have trouble marrying off their daughters.

Children's Song  うれしいひな祭り（Happy Hina Matsuri)

あかりをつけましょ　ぼんぼりに          Let's light up the paper-shade lamps
お花をあげましょ　桃の花                    Let's wreathe the platform with peach flowers
五人ばやしの　笛太鼓                         And, enjoy flutes and drums of the five court musicians           
今日はたのしい　ひなまつり                For today we celebrate the doll festival

お内裏様(だいりさま)と　おひな様       See the emperor and the empress
二人ならんで　すまし顔                        Sit side by side still and composed
お嫁にいらした　姉様に                        And, see snow-white faced court lady 
よく似た官女の　白い顔                        Reminds me of my sister when she was a bride                    

金のびょうぶに　うつる灯(ひ)を           Dim lght reflected on the golden folding screen    
かすかにゆする　春の風                      With spring breeze swaying feebly felt
すこし白酒　めされたか                        Did he take a sip of the sake from the altar?
あかいお顔の　右大臣                          The bearded reddish face of that minister

着物をきかえて　帯しめて                    Change in your kimono and fasten your obi belt
今日はわたしも　はれ姿                       For today we make our formal appearance
春のやよいの　このよき日                    Warm spring bless this good day
なによりうれしい　ひなまつり                There is nothing more wonderful than the doll festival