In Japan, Hinamatsuri, also known as the doll festival or girls’ day, is celebrated in this Doodle. Ornate dolls are dedicated and displayed annually in Japanese communities to commemorate the health and happiness of young girls.
The celebration, which is one of Japan’s five seasonal festivals and goes back more than a thousand years to the Edo Period (1603-1868), is celebrated on this holiday. In order to protect and honor their daughters, families began to distribute simple paper dolls known as hitogata as a result of an ancient Japanese belief that dolls ward off bad luck. The dolls got more and more complicated to make over time.
Today, elaborate dolls are displayed by families on a red-carpeted, tier-high platform known as a hinadan. Dolls are made all over Japan, including popular cities like Saitama, where over 50 shops sell a variety of dolls.
The types of dolls range from Heian Period figurines in traditional kimonos (794-1185) to smaller, handcrafted dolls used as decorations. Hina arare, a sweet and vibrant rice cracker, and amazake, a drink that tastes like yogurt, are two other common celebrations.
Japan, happy Hinamatsuri!