Hina Matsuri or Girl’s Day (March 3rd)
Hina Matsuri is a festival for young girls and is celebrated every 3rd of March.
The festival is done to wish good health and long life for girls.
Why do people decorate their houses with dolls?
It is believed that displaying the dolls will protect young girls against illnesses and accidents, and also
to wish them happiness. Common practices during Hina Matsuri include displaying dolls, drinking Shirozake, eating Hishi mochi, and Hina arare.
Pink, white, and pastel colors are commonly seen also during this time.
「Shirozake」： Toukashu or peach sake is originally being consumed during Hina Matsuri since it is believed to drive away misfortunes and wicked entities.
「Hishimochi」： The colors found in the food have the following meanings:
・Green: For health and long life
・White: To symbolize beauty, cleanliness, and purity
・Pink: To repel wicked and impure entities
「Hina arare」： The colors pink is for spring, green for summer, yellow for autumn, and white
for winter. This is to wish the young girls a happy and healthy life throughout the seasons.
Symbolism of Food served during Hina Matsuri
「Chirashi sushi」： The meaning of the components of the sushi are as follows;
・Shrimp： For longevity
・Lotus Root： To have a definite perception of the future
・Beans： To be able to work hard without neglecting one’s health. Beans or its
Japanese word , [Mame], is used here as a play on the Japanese phrase,
[Mame ni hatarakeru] (to work diligently) and other foods which have
auspicious meaning in relation to Hina Matsuri such as clams.
[Clam Soup]： The food is believed to wish young girls that someday in the future,
they will get married to a good husband and be a happy couple, similar to
how clam shells fit each other.
The following are some of the things that you will see commonly during Hina Matsuri.
Why not try and join the locals in preparing decorations and food for the festival when the time comes?
Not only is it a good experience but also, it is a good chance to further know about Japanese culture.
Furthermore, you will get to immerse yourself in Japan’s springtime atmosphere in the most authentic
way possible!
