Today, March 3, is the day we celebrate the Girls’ Festival in Japan!

It is called “Hinamatsuri” in Japanese.

This is a festival when most Japanese families with female children decorate “Hina dolls” in their houses to wish for the girls to grow healthy and be happy.

One set of the “Hina dolls” consists of the “Emperor,” “Empress,” and their “servants,” and the whole set is considered to represent the “imperial court.”

The custom of decorating Hina dolls began in the Edo period, about 400 years ago.

The shapes and faces of Hina dolls differ depending on when or where they were made during the long history of the 400 years, but even now, each one of the dolls is hand-made by skilled craftspeople.

It is said that Hina dolls will protect the girls from accidents or diseases.

Originally, people would float paper dolls on rivers or sea to drive away evil spirits with them.

Today, on Hina festival day, we make special food for celebration.

By the way, there is a myth about Hina dolls that your daughters might marry late, if you do not put away your Hina dolls soon after the Hina festival.

It is said that you should put them away within about two weeks after the Hina festival, that is, before the middle of March.

As for my Hina dolls, well, they have probably been kept asleep in the closet for nearly 30 years at my parent’s house!

I wonder how are they are doing.