Hina Matsuri is a Japanese doll festival, also known as Momo-no-Sekku the "Peach Festival." It is held every year on March 3rd and is a time during which people pray for the well being of young girls. The festival has its origins in a Chinese exorcism ritual in which people transferred evil spirits to doll surrogates (katashiro) by rubbing paper dolls on their bodies. They then threw the paper dolls into a river...In the late 1700's people started to make dolls out of clay. Many...
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Hina Matsuri is a Japanese doll festival, also known as Momo-no-Sekku the "Peach Festival." It is held every year on March 3rd and is a time during which people pray for the well being of young girls. The festival has its origins in a Chinese exorcism ritual in which people transferred evil spirits to doll surrogates (katashiro) by rubbing paper dolls on their bodies. They then threw the paper dolls into a river...In the late 1700's people started to make dolls out of clay. Many young girls began to collect them and mothers saved the collections to be displayed on the day of ritual that has come to be known as the Hina Matsuri. Over time the designs of the dolls have evolved. The dolls of today are exquisite and costly works of art, usually dressed with real kimonos. Girls receive a set from their parents or grandparents at birth or on their first birthday, and these become a part of the bridal trousseau. The set is usually comprised of an emperor, his wife and their attendants. The dolls are displayed on a five or seven-tiered shelf (hina-dan), with the emperor and empress (dairi-sama), dressed in ancient court costumes, occupying the place of honor on the top tier. In attendance on lower shelves are ministers and other dignitaries, court ladies and musicians. Miniature lacquered dinner sets, tea ceremony utensils, musical instruments, palanquins and other trappings of royalty are also displayed. The dolls are exhibited for a few days up until March 3rd and are then put away. It is believed that to leave them out after that date would bring bad luck to the girls...In Japan, the boys have a similar celebration on May 5th. The boy's display may include gods, warriors, armor, a white horse and other animals, all meant to represent valiance and character that the boy will need to achieve manhood. The armor is for the boy?s protection, and the other trappings of a warrior are to bring him strength. Each doll has a specific name, purpose and social status. Some of these
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