Hina Matsuri is a Japanese festival, more commonly known as Girls day.

Each doll is dressed in rich and detailed robes of ancient Japanese royalty. They are displayed on one, five or seven layer descending platforms draped in a red cloth. Two dolls are put on the first step; the emperor and empress. These are the most precious dolls and many houses are too small for the big display so they only display these two dolls. Three ladies in waiting are on second row, and on the third are five male musicians. Two court ministers are then displayed on the fourth step, each beside a tray of food and the fifth has three guards. Tiny furniture is then placed on the remaining two steps, sweets and chocolate scattered around them. This display is very expensive and few homes have all seven platforms on show.

Kimonos are worn by small girls on Hina Matsuri and they often have parties for their friends on this day. It is traditional to drink ‘Shirosake’ (sweet, non-alcoholic wine) and ‘Sakura Mochi’ (pink cakes made from sweet beans and wheat) is often served during the festival. However, now more modern treats are available. Chocolate Hina dolls and fruit shaped sweets are now often given out but ‘Hishi Mochi’ (rice cakes) are still displayed in most Japanese homes. They have pink, white and green layers and are displayed between the two court ministers.

Hina Matsuri is believed to have originated from China hundreds of years ago but only became popular in the 1600s. Previously, people thought they could get rid of illness by transferring it to paper dolls and throwing them into the water. This still happens today in Japan, it is called ‘Nagashi Bina’ (floating away dolls) and this ceremony is held outside the Awashuma shrine in Japan. During Nagashi Bina dolls are loaded onto boats and then set out to sea to take bad luck and impurities away with them. Unfortunately, these boats are swept back to shore after a while so they have to be towed back to the shrine and burned.