The Meaning of Decorating Hina Dolls
The princess of the dolls is the bride of the daughter. The lord represents the daughter’s future husband.
In other words, Hina dolls represent a wedding ceremony. In the past, it was said that the greatest happiness for a girl was to be married. Hina dolls were displayed to celebrate every year from a young age, with the hope that they would have a happy marriage in the future.
What is Seven-tiered Hina doll set?
Hina dolls are displayed in an unusual way in the world.
A total of 15 dolls and tools such as flowers are displayed one tier at a time. Even if you look at dolls from all over the world, you will not find a style like Hina dolls, where 15 dolls and tools are displayed tier by tier.
It is one of Japan’s proudest cultural features.
First
A lord and a princess. A future husband and a future daughter.
Second
Kanjo. Kanjo is a maid of honor. A witness to the wedding.
Third
Gonin Bayashi. Gonin Bayashi is for musicians. They are playing music at the wedding.
Fourth
Security guard. He has a bow and arrows and is in charge of making sure the wedding ceremony goes off without a hitch.
Fifth
A scullery maid. Three faces: one in trouble, one angry, and one laughing.
Sixth and Seventh
This is the time to display the bridal tools.
Do Japanese people still decorate their Seven-tiered Hina doll set?
Around the year 1700, the seven-tiered decoration was the major style. Hina dolls became so gorgeous that the Shogunate even issued a ban on them.
In recent years, the number of houses that display seven-tiered dolls has been decreasing. Due to the small size of Japanese houses, only two dolls, a lord and a princess, are displayed.
Even though it is just the two of them, they are decorated with flowers and lights along with the dolls to create a gorgeous atmosphere.
dolls are meant to ward off evil spirits.
Hina dolls originated about 1200 years ago, when paper dolls were floated down the river to ward off evil spirits. Therefore, Hina dolls have the meaning of getting rid of bad luck. It means that Hina dolls will take the place of your child’s bad luck.
When I was a child, my parents told me, “Don’t touch the dolls because they will break. Many parents do not let their children touch the dolls.
However, Hina dolls need to be touched by hand to fulfill their original purpose. Touching them will transfer your child’s bad luck to the dolls. It is also a good opportunity for parents to teach their children how to handle the dolls gently and carefully so that they will not break.
How old do you have to be to display Hina dolls?
There is no set standard for the age to decorate Hina dolls. Many people say that they stop decorating their dolls after they come of age, or when they get married and leave their parents’ home.
The timing of adulthood and marriage can be said to be the time when they have grown up well, so they will gradually stop decorating their dolls.
On the other hand, there are some people who continue to decorate their dolls even after they become grandmothers. On the other hand, there are some people who continue to display their dolls even after they become grandmothers, because they love them for a long time and want to keep them forever.
There are also those who say, “I bought my own Hina dolls when I grew up,” so age is not an issue when it comes to decorating Hina dolls.
What will I do with the dolls after I get married?
Hina dolls should be displayed even after marriage. Once you get married, it is considered ideal to display the dolls of each parent and child. It is a good idea to display the dolls of each child, mother, and grandmother together.
What do you do when you no longer have dolls to decorate?
Due to the circumstances of each family, there are times when the dolls are no longer displayed. As the dolls have taken care of the children’s troubles, they should be offered at shrines as a token of gratitude.
Hina dolls are good luck charms for children
It turns out that Hina dolls are displayed in the hope that the child will have a happy marriage and grow up in good health. Hina dolls are “good luck charms” for children.
I would like to share the old Japanese culture with people all over the world.
