Other Traditional & Japanese Culture
When did the Hina Matsuri (Peach Festival) begin?(hinamatsuri).
It is also called Joushi-no-Sekku or Momo-no-Sekku (Peach Festival). There are various theories about the origin of Hinamatsuri, but it is believed to be a fusion of the custom of entrusting misfortunes to “hitokata” (dolls) and throwing them into the river, Hiina-asobi (a game played with a pair of small paper dolls, male and female) in the Heian period, and Kami-no-Sekku on March 3 (when people used to transfer dirt from their bodies to dolls to ward off bad luck). In the Edo period (1603-1867), the event became a festival to wish for the healthy growth of girls. Hina dolls and peach blossoms are decorated and celebrated with water chestnuts, hina arare (sweetened rice cakes), and white sake.
