Happy Girls' Day! This is celebrated in Japan the first week of March. I attended a festival in Saga City, which is about an hour south-east of Sasebo which honors girls by displaying dolls. Families display various settings of dolls during this week, which is meant to bring good luck. Dolls are passed on from generation to generation. Once the week ends, the families are to box them up until next year. If they do not do this right away, their daughter will likely marry late in life!
This tradition started in the Edo Period (1603-1868) and continues to thrive. The dolls are also meant to ward of evil spirits. Hina dolls are displayed in sets of 15, each in very ornate and traditional dress. The detail of these dolls is amazing! Many are placed on red-felt covered platforms in the following sequence: top platform holds the Emporer and Empress, second platform holds three court ladies, each with a saki (rice wine) filler, third platform holds 5 male musicians (one is a singer, the rest have instruments in hand) and the 4th, 5th and 6th platforms vary in what they hold.
We saw a large variety of dolls on display in various traditional houses in Saga. Some were dressed in kimono silk, others in washi paper. These dolls are quite small, though the time spent on each must be hours!
I bought lil M (just in case!) a set of dolls dressed in washi paper and also an antique wooden spindle set of mother and daughter. Like many attractions in Japan, an antique bazaar accompanied this festival... always a fun place to poke around!
1 comment:
very cool - you know you are having boy now that you did that!!
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