Girl's Day! Hina Matsuri ♡

Good evening everyone! 

It's March! Can you believe it? I love love LOVE March in Japan! The weather is getting warmer, the school year is coming to an end and the cherry blossoms start to bloom! The best part of cherry blossom season is everything becomes pink! So many goods and special edition food and drink come out. It is just so cute!♡❀ 

image from google

Back at home in Canada the school year begins in September and ends in June. In Japan, the school year begins in April and ends in March! So classes have been winding down and the sixth graders have been preparing for graduation. 

image from google

March holds many different special events and days. Cherry blossom viewing parties, the Osaka sumo matches, school graduation, and my dad's birthday (hi Dad!) are just a few! 

But one of the cutest holidays in March, and one of my favourites, is Hina Matsuri! 

image from google

March 3rd is Hina Matsuri (雛祭り) or Girl's Festival! It is also known as Doll's Day. Hina Matsuri is celebrated every year on March 3rd. The most famous symbol of Hina Matsuri is the pyramid of dolls that are put on display. Platforms covered in red material are used to display sets of delicate, traditional, ornamental dolls called hina-ningyo (雛人形). These dolls represent the Emperor, Empress, attendants, and musicians of the Heian period of Japan. The dolls are dressed in traditional court dress from that time. Hina Matsuri is a celebration based on a family's hopes and dreams for their daughters and granddaughters to grow up happy, healthy and successful. 

image from google

The tradition of displaying these dolls began during the Heian period. The people believed that the dolls held bad spirits. Straw hina dolls were set afloat on a boat and sent down the river towards the sea, taking the bad spirits with them. Fun fact - the paper dolls in Studio Ghibli's Spirited Away were based off of these dolls! 

Paper dolls in Spirited Away
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Dolls are usually left out on display throughout mid to end of February. You can see them in places such as restaurants, train stations, shops and homes. As soon as it is March 4th you'll notice all the dolls are gone! This is because it is believed if you leave the dolls out past Hina Matsuri day you daughter will marry late (tragic, right?) 

image from google

Of course like many holidays in Japan, Hina Matsuri has special food to eat! Coloured, bite-sized crackers flavoured with sugar or soy sauce called hina-arare are eaten as well as hishimochi, a tri-coloured, diamond shaped rice cake. Sakura (cherry blossom) mochi is a sweet, pink rice cake eaten on Hina Matsuri. Chirazushi is the main non-sweet dish of Hina Matsuri. Chirazuchi is sushi rice flavoured with sugar and vinegar and is topped with raw fish and other yummy things! It reminds me of unwrapped sushi to be honest. It's quite delicious! You can also eat temarizushi which is round sushi balls if you prefer. Some people serve a salt based soup called ushiojiru. Ushiojiru has clams still in the shell in it. The reason is actually really sweet! Clam shells in food represent a united, peaceful and happy couple. Why? Well a pair of clam shells fit perfectly and only the original pair can! No other. Isn't that so cheesy and cute? I love it!

This year will be my first year attempting to make ushiojiru soup! I will let you know how it turns out!

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The official drink of Hina Matsuri is shirosake, sake made from fermented rice. Needless to say, only the older family members can enjoy this drink!

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I almost forgot the best part...I have spied grocery stores promoting strawberry cake for Hina Matsuri. I love strawberry cake and I hope to enjoy some tomorrow as well! 

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I have some more exciting news for this year's Girl's Day...my little sister is coming to visit me in Japan! She will visit at the end of March. I am so excited I can't wait! I haven't seen her since Christmas before last. I am so pumped to be sharing cherry blossom season with her!

 

my photo :)

 

I hope you're all enjoying the warmer weather spring is bringing and I wish you all a super cute Hina Matsuri!  

image from google