Today’s annual Doodle celebrates Hinamatsuri 2023!
Today’s Doodle honors Hinamatsuri (雛祭り) also known as girls’ day or the doll festival, in Japan. Each year, Japanese communities celebrate the health and happiness of young girls by dedicating and displaying ornate dolls.
The holiday is one of Japan’s five sekku (seasonal festivals) and dates back over a thousand years to the Edo Period (1603-1868). Due to an ancient Japanese belief that dolls ward off bad luck, families began to set out simple paper dolls called hitogata to protect and honor their daughters. Over time, the dolls became more intricately crafted.
Today, families display ornate dolls on a red-carpeted, tiered platform called a hinadan. Dolls are crafted throughout Japan, including popular spots like the city of Saitama, where over 50 stores sell different kinds of dolls. The types of dolls vary from figurines wearing traditional kimonos of the Heian Period (794-1185) to smaller handmade dolls hanging as decorations. Other common celebrations include festive food like sweet vibrant rice crackers called hina arare and a yogurt-like beverage known as amazake.
Happy Hinamatsuri, Japan!
