I was shopping in Isetan Scotts supermarket where I was so attracted to cute Hello Kitty foodstuffs, some mochis at a stand. I found it so attractive and more so tempted to buy when I have two girls at home. Then I looked up at the banner - Hinamatsuri Festival. Of course! It's meant to be attractive to girls coz' it's Girl's Day in Japan. 3rd March = that's today!!
I'm not Japanese so I'm excused not to buy it for Athena. Heng ah........... but I have to wish Yui and Miho. And reading Suzuna's blog, I thought it'd be so nice to celebrate one here.
This is the day families pray for the happiness and prosperity of their girls and to help ensure that they grow up healthy and beautiful. The celebration takes place both inside the home and at the seashore. Both parts are meant to ward off evil spirits from girls.
A girl's first "Girls' Day" is called her hatzu-zekku. On a girl's hatzu-zekku it is very popular for the girl's grandparents to buy her a display with up to seven tiers with dolls and small furniture. At the top is always the dolls of the emperor and empress with a miniature gilded screen placed behind them, very much like how it is in the imperial court. Most families take out this display of dolls around mid-February and put it away immediately after Hina Matsuri is over.
There is a superstition that says that families slow to put away the dolls will have trouble marrying off their daughters! (if I was a Japanese, now I understand why I marry so soon... coz' my mom hates untidy places, keep away very fast before the festival - ha!)
Song :
I'm not Japanese so I'm excused not to buy it for Athena. Heng ah........... but I have to wish Yui and Miho. And reading Suzuna's blog, I thought it'd be so nice to celebrate one here.
This is the day families pray for the happiness and prosperity of their girls and to help ensure that they grow up healthy and beautiful. The celebration takes place both inside the home and at the seashore. Both parts are meant to ward off evil spirits from girls.
A girl's first "Girls' Day" is called her hatzu-zekku. On a girl's hatzu-zekku it is very popular for the girl's grandparents to buy her a display with up to seven tiers with dolls and small furniture. At the top is always the dolls of the emperor and empress with a miniature gilded screen placed behind them, very much like how it is in the imperial court. Most families take out this display of dolls around mid-February and put it away immediately after Hina Matsuri is over.
There is a superstition that says that families slow to put away the dolls will have trouble marrying off their daughters! (if I was a Japanese, now I understand why I marry so soon... coz' my mom hates untidy places, keep away very fast before the festival - ha!)
Song :
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