In Japan, Hina-matsuri (雛祭り), Girls’ Day/ Dolls’ Day, celebrated on March 3rd with elaborate displays of Hina-Ningyou dolls on red-covered tiered platforms displayed in homes.
Our display is a lot less elaborate, however, my daughters still take great pleasure in setting up our modest display of Emperor and Empress to celebrate the day.
Hinamatsuri is one of the five seasonal festivals (五節句), gosekku that are held on auspicious dates. These include 1 January (New Year's Day), 3 March (Hinamatsuri), 5 May (Boy's Day/Children's Day), 7 July (Tanabata), and 9 September (Chrysanthemum Day).
Traditionally Hinamatsuri was known as Momo no Sekku 桃の節句, the Peach Festival, as in Japan peach trees tend to flower around this time of year.
Although traditional Hina-matsuri flowers, include peach blossoms and canola (Rapeseed blossoms). to celebrate the day my daughters and I used flowering branches and flowers foraged from our local neighbourhood and from our garden.
To complete the arrangement, we added our Emperor and Empress. In keeping with tradition, our dolls will be carefully packed away on the 4th March.