Hinamatsuri facts for kids
Hinamatsuri (雛祭り (Hina-matsuri)), also called Doll's Day or Girls' Day, is a special festival in Japan. It is celebrated every year on March 3. This day is all about wishing young girls in Japanese families good health and happiness.
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The Story Behind Hinamatsuri
For a very long time, since the 700s, Japan has had special days for children. March 3 was for girls, and May 5 was for boys. This tradition has continued for many centuries.
The Special Doll Display
The most important part of Hinamatsuri is a beautiful display of dolls. These dolls are dressed in the fancy clothes of the Heian period, which was a long time ago in Japanese history. The group of dolls represents the old Japanese Imperial court, like a royal family and their helpers. These special dolls are called hina ningyō.
The dolls are placed on steps, which are called hina dan (error: {{nihongo}}: Japanese or romaji text required (help)). These displays usually have five or seven steps. The way the dolls are placed can be a little different depending on the region in Japan, like the Kantō region or Kansai region. However, the types of dolls on each step are always the same.
First Step: The Emperor and Empress
The very top step holds two special dolls. These are the imperial dolls, called dairi-bina (error: {{nihongo}}: Japanese or romaji text required (help)).
- The male doll is the Emperor (御内裏様 (Odairi-sama)). He holds a special stick called a shaku (笏 (ritual baton)).
- The female doll is the Empress (御雛様 (Ohime-sama)). She holds a fan.
Sometimes the male doll is on the right, and sometimes he is on the left.
Second Step: The Court Ladies
The second step holds three court ladies (三人官女 (san-nin kanjo)). Each of these ladies holds something used for serving sake, which is a Japanese drink.
Third Step: The Musicians
The third step has five male musicians (五人囃子 (gonin bayashi)). They are ready to play music for the court.
Fourth Step: The Ministers
On the fourth step, you might see two Imperial ministers, who were important officials.
- One is the Minister of the Right (右大臣 (Udaijin)).
- The other is the Minister of the Left (左大臣 (Sadaijin)).
Related pages
Images for kids
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Empress Kōjun attending the festival with her daughters, around 1940.
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An 18th-century Empress doll (mebina) on display at the Musée d'ethnographie de Genève.
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An 18th-century Emperor doll (obina) on display at the Musée d'ethnographie de Genève.
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A Hinamatsuri store display in Seattle, Washington, showing all seven steps.
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An Emperor doll with an Empress doll, in front of a gold screen. You can also see parts of the optional lampstands.
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Tsurushibina (Tsurushibina) are a different style of traditional Hina-Ningyō dolls (from Kanzo-Yashiki, Kōshū, Yamanashi Prefecture).
See also
In Spanish: Hinamatsuri para niños
