Japan festival- doll festival

JUST as there is Boys’ Festival (which is called Children’s Day now) on May 5, girls celebrate “Hina Matsuri” (Doll Festival) on March 3. Unlike Children’s Day, it is not a national holiday. It is also called “Momo no Sekku” (Peach Festival). In the lunar calendar of ancient Japan, the day coincided with the blooming of peach blossoms.
Hina Matsuri features the annual display of hina (tiny dolls made of paper or cloth) in households with young daughters, as a wish for their good health, happiness and marriage.
Dolls are used in purification rites. There is a traditional belief that one’s illness and misfortune can be transferred to a doll through touch.
The origins of displaying hina dolls date back to the Heian period (794-1192) when the custom of playing with hina dolls merged with a seasonal purification event of Chinese origin.

Colourful array: A grand display of hina dolls and tsurushibina at Seseragi park, Yokohama.

After the Meiji period (1868 -1912), elaborate hina dolls which were formerly crafted for the aristocrats and upper class, caught on among the commoners. Over time, the dolls became more extravagant.
There is no consensus on when to display the dolls but the ideal time would be from mid-February to prevent them from collecting dust. However, an old wives’ tale has it that if the dolls displayed in homes are not put away by March 3, the daughter will marry late.
In the olden days, chests of drawers were used as a makeshift display for the dolls.
A complete set usually comprises a hinadan (tiered stand) covered in bright red fabric, with miniature replicated paraphernalia and 15 Imperial court characters garbed in glamorous ancient costumes of the Heian period. The exquisite set takes up space in homes and costs an arm and a leg. Thus it is a priceless heirloom.
The dolls and paraphernalia are arranged in descending order. The odairisama (emperor/prince) and ohinasama (empress/princess) grace the top tier. On the second shelf are the three ladies-in-waiting serving sake. Five musicians occupy the third platform. Two guards are positioned on the fourth step, while three servants sit on the fifth step. The sixth and seventh tier hold miniature crockery, furniture, brazier, food boxes, an artificial mandarin orange tree and cherry tree, a palanquin, an ox-drawn carriage and other paraphernalia.
Accompanying the dolls are two gilded folding screens, bonbori (lampstands), vases of fake peach blossoms, banquet dishes and diamond-shaped stands with hishi-mochi (diamond-shaped rice-based sweets).
Hina Matsuri celebration comes with food carrying symbolic implications such as chirashi-zushi (vinegared rice topped with colourful ingredients), clam soup (for a good match), hishi-mochi and arare (rice snacks) bearing colours of white (for purity), green (representing verdant growth) and pink (signifying auspiciousness). For girls, they drink alcohol-free amazake (sweet, white, rice wine).
When a volunteer group organised a free origami lesson on making hina dolls for foreigners to learn about Japanese culture, I jumped at the opportunity. Although hina dolls are of no religious significance to me, origami dolls fascinate me.
All the materials were provided for free. With the given instructions (albeit complicated) and guidance of a volunteer, I crafted a pair of Imperial dolls and took several snapshots. However, I gave it away to an elderly Japanese friend who wanted it for display, despite having no daughters.
The availability of space and affordability have resulted in the downsizing of the hinadan to the Imperial pair or a three-tier set. Some families with young daughters do not celebrate Hina Matsuri whereas other people get into the festive mood with any decorations depicting the hina dolls.

Origami hina dolls arranged in Kansai style.

Products and snacks featuring the hina dolls are sold in stores. One can even find chocolates shaped like the Imperial couple!
To keep the tradition alive, many places promote the festival. Katsuura in Chiba prefecture held a big Hina Matsuri of 30,000 dolls displayed at several locations from Feb 19 till March 3. The dolls were borrowed or donated. Tsurushibina (hanging hina dolls and ornaments) enhanced the displays.
A more notable venue was Tomisaki Shrine which had 2,000 dolls displayed on 60 steps draped in red cloth and illuminated from evening onwards. It was an exquisite sight, indeed!
Except for rainy days, the volunteers and staff had the painstaking task of displaying the dolls on every step, every day, and keeping them at night. The festival was celebrated with great pomp on Feb 20, with little children parading in traditional costumes.
An old traditional house at Seseragi park in Tsuzuki ward, Yokohama, is exhibiting three sets of hina dolls and tsurushibina from Feb 23 to March 31. Among the displays this year are cute rabbit-shaped hina dolls.
Now when I compared my origami hina dolls picture with the picture of the hina dolls display I took at a hospital, I realised I had placed the order of Imperial couple in the Kansai style, with the odairisama on the right instead of the left, as in the Kanto region