photo: Jonathan Ley
Hina Matsuri, the Doll Festival
Hina Matsuri is traditionally
celebrated on March 3. For centuries, this once-a-year event has taught girls
the virtues of gentility and thoughtfulness—qualities they would need to
become good wives and mothers in traditional Japanese society. A major feature
of this celebration is the display of Hina Ningyo,
special dolls representing the imperial court arrayed on a
five- or seven-tiered stand that is covered with a celebratory red cloth and
placed in the best room of the house. Hina Matsuri is
one of the five annual observances called Go-Sekku that mark the changing seasons.
For Further Reading...
Hina Matsuri, the Doll Festival, has been one of the most beloved annual festivals in Japan for centuries. Also known as Girls' Day, the festival features a display of remarkable dolls called hina ningyo specially made for this occasion only, and sometimes handed down in families for generations...
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