The 3rd of March is Japan’s girl’s day called Hinamatsuri. In Japan, traditional dolls – Hinaningyo are decorated at home to cerebrate a traditional festival for female children to wish their happiness and good health. The Hinamatsuri custom goes back to Heian period (794 AD – 1185) among aristocrats. The dolls started to be displayed so that the dolls can become a substitute of their daughters in case evil spirits may fall down on.
The dolls are made of ceramic and in the ornate, decorative robes of the ancient imperial court. There are also furniture and plants and these are displayed on a red-carpeted, stepped platform called Hinadan. The way of display differs from region to region in Japan, but normally in the top row, there are central figurines of the festival, the male Odairisama and female Ohinasama. These figures, said to represent members of the imperial family, are waited on by the Sannin kanjo (three court ladies), Gonin bayashi (five musicians), and other attendants who sit, along with such court regalia as sake cups and elaborate chests of drawers, on lower rows.
We also eat Chirashizushi – scattered sushi served on plates with colorful toppings including cucumbers, carrots, shitake mashrooms, eggs etc. We also enjoy small ball sized rice crackers called Hinaarare and my mother sends to us every year and my kids are looking forward to it 🙂
Even after I moved to Malta my mother displays Hinaningyo dolls every year to wish my happiness and good health and also for my daughters after they were born. She is getting old and this year she told me that it took 3 days to display. Each doll is packed carefully in a box and I used to help her to decorate when I was a child. The photo and video below is my Hinaningyo which my parents bought it around 40 years ago. I appreciate what my mother does for me, as it takes a lot of time and patience to setting up, taking down and packing up these dolls. I don’t know if I could do the same! It is normally displayed for about 7 days. They say if you keep it too long after 3rd March, their daughter will loose the chance to get married!
I have a mini dolls of Odairisama and Ohinasama so I took it out to decorate on a cabinet and we ate Chirashizushi. This is how we cerebrate Hinamatsuri here in Malta!
As we sell authentic Japanese products, I got some suggestions to import this kind of nice dolls from Japan but it is quite expensive and fragile so we have to have a big think about it!
Check our our products related to Hinamatsuri!
