event/holliday

ひな祭り – Hina-Matsuri

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hina matsuri

March 3rd is Hina-matsuri (English translation “Dolls’ Festival, Girls’ Day, or Dolls’ Day.”)  It is not an official holiday, but a traditional event held every year to celebrate the health of a young girl in the family and to wish a happy marriage for her in the future.  In ancient times, a doll was dropped into a river on this day to symbolically dispose of a young girl’s illness or bad luck.  Later, this doll became a symbol of the young girl herself, and now a female doll is displayed with a male doll (her future husband), amid servants, flowers, food, and drinks.  The display is called hinakazari.  These dolls are not toys, but beautiful and often expensive images dressed in elaborate costumes like those worn at the imperial court long ago.

 

成人の日 – Coming of Age Day 2016

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AKB 成人の日

Young people in Japan are considered to be adults when they reach 20, not 21.  “Seijin no Hi” or “Coming of Age Day” is a national holiday in Japan held every year early in January (the second Monday).  On that day we have a ceremony like a kind of collective birthday party to celebrate everyone who turned/will turn 20 sometime during the year (goes by Japanese school year system).  Many female attendees wear “Furisode” for the ceremony.

Photo: Japanese idol group, AKB48

雛祭り – Hina-Matsuri

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Hina Matsuri 2　????????

March 3rd is Hina-matsuri (English translation “Dolls’ Festival, Girls’ Day, or Dolls’ Day.”)  It is not an official holiday, but a traditional event held every year to celebrate the health of a young girl in the family and to wish a happy marriage for her in the future.  In ancient times, a doll was dropped into a river on this day to symbolically dispose of a young girl’s illness or bad luck.  Later, this doll became a symbol of the young girl herself, and now a female doll is displayed with a male doll (her future husband), amid servants, flowers, food, and drinks.  These dolls are not toys, but beautiful and often expensive images dressed in elaborate costumes like those worn at the imperial court long ago.

年神 – Toshigami

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Toshigami

Toshigami (年神 or 歳神) is a Shinto God that Japanese people believe visits each household on New Year’s Day to bring blessings.  We usually speak of “Toshigami-sama”, which is the honorific form of his name.  Toshigami-sama is also called Toshitokujin, Tondosan, or Lucky Goddess.