Hawaii Culture: Japanese Tradition, Hina Matsuri

One of the blessings about living in Hawaii is the exposure to the traditions of the different cultures which then becomes part of your own, personal culture. On March 3 of each year is the Japanese Doll Festival or Hina Matsuri, familiarly known as Girl’s Day.

The origin of Hina Matsuri is said to be from an ancient Chinese ceremony in which people would make paper dolls and transfer their ill fortunes or sicknesses to the dolls. They would then cast all of the paper dolls into a river. Feeling pure, they would then welcome the Spring season.

To celebrate Hina Matsuri which means festival of peach blossoms, practitioners display dolls adorned in ancient Japanese wardrobe set upon tiered platforms; sometimes accompanied with colored mochi. The three different mochi colors are: white (symbolizes snow), green (symbolizes growth), and pink (symbolizes peach flowers).

Here are a list of events happening around the world to celebrate Girl’s Day:

• Girls’ Day Diva Festival – UH-Hilo Performance Arts Center, March 2, 2009
• Kodomo no HI: Keiki Fun Fest – Japanese Cultural Center of Hawaii, March 3, 2009
• All Dolled Up – Pearl Ultralounge, March 3, 2009
• Hina Matsuri, The Doll Festival - Portland Japanese Garden, March 2-3, 2009
• Hina Matsuri – Sacramento, CA, March 22, 2009
• Hina Matsuri in the United States – Los Angeles, CA, March 3, 2009
• Hina Matsuri, Japanese Doll Festival – Cherry Hill, NJ, March 7, 2009
• Japanese Girls Day Kids Weekend Workshop – Doylestown, PA, March 7, 2009
• Hina Matsuri – Seattle, WA, March 2, 2009
• Hina Matsuri in Gunma – Japan, through March 8, 2009
• Katsuura Girls’ Festival – “Big Hina Matsuri” – Japan, through March 3, 2009
• Hina Matsuri Display – Tokyo America Club, through March 3, 2009

How will you be celebrating Hina Matsuri?

Photo credit: Welcome to CHIBA

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