As you go into a supermarket from the end of February to the beginning of March, you see a lot of pretty pink colored snacks being sold.
They often come in a bag with a drawing of two people. These are called ‘hina-ningyo’ or ‘hina dolls’ which are observed for the doll festival that is for girls, celebrated in Japan every March 3rd.
In Japan, families with a daughter(s) display a set of beautiful hina dolls on a tier of five or seven shelves to celebrate and pray for their healthy growth and happiness.
The top two dolls represent the emperor and empress and they are dressed in the beautiful attire of the ancient imperial times. These lovely sets of hina dolls can easily cost around one thousand dollars in stores, therefore it is usually cherished as the family treasure and passed on from one generation to the next. Though, there are some dolls within reasonable price ranges too.
However, the best part of the hina doll festival is not just about the dolls!
The girls of the family, relatives, and friends gather together and celebrate it having ‘amazake’, a rice non-alcoholic liquor, as well as colorful sweets and snacks, specially made for the event.
The following day, the hina dolls are supposed to be put away quickly as it is considered to damage the daughter’s marriageable period if letting them stay out for too long.
If you have a daughter(s) and see those cute pink colored snacks sold, don’t miss the chance but to grab some for all to experience our wonderful culture in Okinawa and Japan!
Happy Girls’ Day!
They often come in a bag with a drawing of two people. These are called ‘hina-ningyo’ or ‘hina dolls’ which are observed for the doll festival that is for girls, celebrated in Japan every March 3rd.
In Japan, families with a daughter(s) display a set of beautiful hina dolls on a tier of five or seven shelves to celebrate and pray for their healthy growth and happiness.
The top two dolls represent the emperor and empress and they are dressed in the beautiful attire of the ancient imperial times. These lovely sets of hina dolls can easily cost around one thousand dollars in stores, therefore it is usually cherished as the family treasure and passed on from one generation to the next. Though, there are some dolls within reasonable price ranges too.
However, the best part of the hina doll festival is not just about the dolls!
The girls of the family, relatives, and friends gather together and celebrate it having ‘amazake’, a rice non-alcoholic liquor, as well as colorful sweets and snacks, specially made for the event.
The following day, the hina dolls are supposed to be put away quickly as it is considered to damage the daughter’s marriageable period if letting them stay out for too long.
If you have a daughter(s) and see those cute pink colored snacks sold, don’t miss the chance but to grab some for all to experience our wonderful culture in Okinawa and Japan!
Happy Girls’ Day!
The views expressed on this page by users and staff are their own, not those of Okinawa.Org.
