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On March 3rd, most Japanese families, especially those with daughters will display the Hinamatsuri dolls, in many traditional homes, passed down for generations from their mothers and grandmothers. The family will gather around their daughters at the center and celebrate with special Hinamatsuri feast … red and pink colors tend to adorn the homes with more spring toned pastels and florals…to honor their princesses.<\/p>\n
As part of a typical feast, here’s a photo of Chirashi-sushi in a red lacquer bowl with a message, “Spring is coming soon.” … & a graphic garnish of cherry blossom images. Chirashi sushi is topped with decorative (and quite edible delicacies) shrimp marinated in sweet rice vinegar, salmon fish roe (orange\/red caviar symbolizing fertility), lotus root (that white stencil cutout flowers representing purity and faith), anago, golden egg threads, and sea vegetables\/nori strings…). Feast to the eye, Pretty!<\/p>\n
![\"\"](\"http:\/\/www.serve-net.co.jp\/design\/gcom1361\/img\/center\/hinamaturi2011.jpg\")
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“The custom of displaying dolls began during the\u00a0Heian period<\/a>. Formerly, people believed the dolls possessed the power to contain bad\u00a0spirits<\/a>. Hinamatsuri traces its origins to an ancient Japanese custom called\u00a0hina-nagashi<\/i>\u00a0(\u96db\u6d41\u3057, lit. “doll floating”), in which straw hina dolls are set afloat on a boat and sent down a river to the sea, supposedly taking troubles or bad spirits with them. The\u00a0Shimogamo Shrine<\/a>\u00a0(part of the\u00a0Kamo Shrine<\/a>\u00a0complex in\u00a0Kyoto<\/a>) celebrates the\u00a0Nagashibina<\/i>\u00a0by floating these dolls between the Takano and\u00a0Kamo Rivers<\/a>\u00a0to pray for the safety of children. People have stopped doing this now because of fishermen catching the dolls in their nets. They now send them out to sea, and when the spectators are gone they\u00a0take the boats out of the water and bring them back to the temple and burn them.<\/p>\n The customary drink for the festival is\u00a0shirozake<\/i>, a sake made from\u00a0fermented<\/a>\u00a0rice<\/a>. A colored\u00a0hina-arare<\/a><\/i>, bite-sized crackers flavored with sugar or soy sauce depending on the region, and\u00a0hishimochi<\/a><\/i>, a diamond-shaped colored rice cake, are served.<\/sup>Chirashizushi<\/a><\/i>\u00a0(sushi rice flavored with sugar, vinegar, topped with raw fish and a variety of ingredients) is often eaten. A salt-based soup called\u00a0ushiojiru<\/i>\u00a0containing\u00a0clams<\/a>\u00a0still in the shell is also served. Clam shells in food are deemed the symbol of a united and peaceful couple, because a pair of clam shells fits perfectly, and no pair but the original pair can do so.<\/p>\n