雛祭り(ひなまつり）- Hinamatsuri

Today March 3rd is Hina Matsuri(Doll Festival) in Japan. So this image is great for it. (*^-^*)March 3rd is Hinamatsuri, or Doll's Festival/Girls' Day, in Japan. This is a traditional event dating back to the Heian Period, about 1,000 years ago. The costumes of the hina dolls are based on the cloths of the nobles of that time period. Hinamatsuri is a day for families to celebrate their girls and wish them health and happiness.

Hinamatsuri (Doll's Festival)" is held on March 3rd. This is a day to pray for young girl's growth and happiness. It is also called "Momo no sekku (Peach Festival)" because of the peach blossom season on the old lunar calendar. May 5th is "Kodomo no hi (Children's Day)," and this is so called "Boy's Festival." While Children's Day is a national holiday, Hinamatsuri is not. Most families with girls display "hina-ningyo" (special dolls for Hinamatsuri, see the photo below) and dedicate peach blossoms to them. They are usually arranged on a five or seven-tiered stand covered with a red carpet. At the top are the Emperor and Empress. The next step contains three court ladies (sannin-kanjo), followed by five musicians (gonin-bayashi), two ministers (udaijin and sadaijin), and three servants ending the bottom row in a five-tiered display. There are also small pieces of furniture, small meal dishes, and other things.