ひな祭り Doll's Festival
３月３日はひな祭りです。これは女の子の成長や幸福を願う行事で「桃の節句」とも言われます。女の子のいる家庭の多くでは、おひな様を飾り桃の花やひなあられ、白酒などをおひな様と一緒に飾りお祝いをします。
また、おひな様はひな祭りの１０〜２０日くらい前から飾られますが、しまう時は早くしまわなくてはいけないとされています。それは３月３日のひな祭りを過ぎていつまでもおひな様を飾っていると、お嫁に行き遅れるとゆう言い伝えがあるからです。
ひな祭りの起源は、古代中国において身のけがれや災いを人形に移し、川に流して厄払いをするという風習からきており、それが日本では女の子の人形遊びと一緒になって、江戸時代ごろからひな祭りとしてお祝いをするようになりました。
澤の屋のおひな様は、長女が生まれた時におばあちゃんがお祝いに買ってくれたもので約３３年前のものです。その他にも母のおひな様もあり、これは約５０年前のものです。
澤の屋では２月２０日から３月３日まで飾りますのでどうぞ見に来てください。
Doll's Festival
約５０年前のおひな様です。 mother 's doll, about fifty years ago.
March 3rd is Doll's Festival in Japan. This festival is for wishing girls growth and happiness, and is called 「MOMO NO SEKKU」 in Japanese. Most families that have female children display these dolls at home. They are decorated with peach blossoms, grilled bits of rice cake, sweet white liquor called sweet sake and so forth.
The dolls are usually displayed for ten to twenty days before the Doll's Festival. But, once the event is over, we have to immediately put the dolls away.
Why must we put them away so quickly?
The reason is, according to legend, that if the dolls are not put away on the evening of March 3rd, the girl will not marry at the proper time.
Origin of the Doll's Festival
The origin of the Japanese Doll's Festival is in ancient China. At that time, the Chinese transferred their bad thoughts and disasters to dolls, which they then tossed into a river so that they would flow away with the dolls. This custom represents the ritual purification of evil influences.
In Japan, girls have been playing with these dolls and this custom has been celebrated since the Edo era, about 300 years ago.
Sawanoya Inn's Dolls
According to my father, the Sawanoya Doll's were given to us by my grandmother when my sister was born, about thirty-three years ago. In addition to this set of dolls, we also have my mother's set that was given to her by my great grandmother about fifty years ago.
We are displaying these elaborate sets of dolls from Feburary 20 until
March 3rd in the lobby of the Sawanoya Inn, here in the old section of Tokyo.
Please come and take a look at our dolls!
約３０年前のおひな様です。 sister 's dolls, about thirty-three years ago.