Japanese Way

March 3


　　　　

ひな祭り
Hinamasturi
Dool's Festival

Hinamasturi occurs on March 3 and is an occasuon to pray for young girls' growth and happiness. Most homes with girls display dolls for the dloo's Fastival and dedicate to them peach blossoms, rice cake cubes, special colored and diamond-shaped rice cakes, white sake, and other items. The origin of hinamasturi is an ancient Chinese practice in which the sin of the body and misfortune are transferred to a doll and washed away by setting the doll in a river to drift away. When this practice spread to Japan, it was linked to girl's playing with dolls and in the Edo Period(1603-1867), was developed into the Hinamasturi.