March 3,2001 Celebrated Hinamatsuri
Hi, how are you? We are all well. Now It is spring in our district. And also it is the season all life revives.
On 3rd of March, we celebrated the annual Hinamatsuri (the Doll Festival or the Girl's Festival)and my granddaughter Rumi's 6 years old birthday.
The growth of the child is really fast. Rumi is going to enter a elementary school in this April. And my second granddaughter Nana is 3 years old soon.
Oh, no !! I am getting old so fast, too.

Well,sayonara and see you again soon.

About "Hinamatsuri" It is the Girl's Festival celebrated on March 3. It is also a seasonal festival called momo-no-sekku featuring peach blossoms. Hina-kazari (A group of beautifully dressed dolls) are displayed on tiers of shelves in the home of the family that has a young girl. The dolls represent members of the ancient imperial court. The Emperor and the Empress (dairi-bina) are displayed on the top shelf, and their two eminent lords (udaijin and sadaijin), three ladies (sannninn kanjyo), five musicians (gonin-bayashi), and three servants are arrayed below them. Even small representations of furniture and foods are displayed on the lower shelves. Hinamatsuri dates from the medieval times, but the custom of displaying dolls in this fashion started in the eighteenth century. Whereas originally the hand-made dolls were thrown into the river along with offerings on March 3, today the commercially made and expensive dolls are stored away for the next year. They are often passed from generation to generation. Sweet rice wine called shirozake is prepared as well as special dishes on this girl's day.