March in Japan is traditionally considered the month of women. March 3 is the holiday of girls, affectionately called Hina Matsuri (Japanese). ⁇ り, Hina Matsuri — holiday of Hina dolls) or Momo no sekku (Momo-no Sekku — holiday of peach blossoms).
In ancient times, it was celebrated on the 3rd day of the 3rd month simply as a seasonal event. At this time, peasants were relatively free from agricultural work and could rejoice in the first warm days when peach trees began to bloom.
The Hina matsuri celebration is based on several different traditions. One of them dates back to the era of Heian (794—1185) — on this day, spellcasters were invited to noble families, who performed special prayer services aimed at ensuring that all the troubles of people were transferred to paper dolls, which were then allowed to swim along the river or by sea. These dolls were called «nagashi-bina» — dolls descending the river.
Initially, the holiday was celebrated only at court and among the military class, but soon quickly spread among the people. The national holiday of dolls became in the 18th century, at the same time the custom was added to organize exhibitions of richly dressed dolls depicting the life and customs of the imperial palace in houses where there are girls.
This custom still persists. Now these are not paper dolls, but real works of art made of ceramics and silk, dressed in luxurious clothes. Hina dolls are not intended for everyday games; they are usually displayed in the central room of the house on a special shelf — quinadana — and are simply admired for several days. Some such doll sets are very expensive and passed down in the family from generation to generation. Usually, when a girl is born into a family, parents buy a new set of dolls, which is then supplemented with those dolls that relatives and friends give them.
As a rule, the set includes at least 15 dolls dressed in ancient multi-layered red clothes. The most valuable and ornate are the dolls depicting the emperor (o-Dairi-sama) and the empress (o-Hime-sama) in ancient silk ceremonial outfits. Puppet exhibitions are being prepared for March 3 and last about a month.
There is a belief that dolls cannot be displayed for a long time, as this delays the desired hour of marriage, so all items are carefully packaged and stored until next year. By March 3, the room where the doll exhibition is located is also decorated: balls made of artificial cherry flowers and tangerine wood are hung from the ceiling. Each ball is decorated with a hanging silk cord.
On this day, girls in elegant kimonos, like real ladies, visit each other, give and receive gifts, treat themselves to special sweets and admire dolls. Thus, in a playful, relaxed form, girls are instilled with the rules of good manners, the concept of character traits that a woman should have, and the ability to take care of valuable things, restraining their desires and whims. Thus, the Hina Matsuri tradition perfectly combines wonderful play, poetic perception of the world and traditional upbringing.
And the peach flowers (momo), which gave another name to the holiday, in Japan also symbolize female tenderness, kindness, gentleness and, as a result, a happy marriage. It is no coincidence that quite a lot of weddings are played on the Hina Matsuri holiday.