Does anyone celebrate the Dolls' Day Festival?

**Sakurako** · January 12th, 2005, 08:01 PM

Since Valentine's Day appears to be well covered, perhaps it's not too soon to ask about Dolls' Day? It is a Japanese festival for girls which takes place on March 3rd. Although the festival centers on "o-hina sama" -- honorable dolls representing an emperor, empress and their courtiers -- I've always thought it was fun to pay special attention to my own dolls on that day. Does anyone else do something for this occasion?

**lynet44** · January 12th, 2005, 08:06 PM

Thanks for the info. I will celebrate it on March 3rd. That will be something fun to do with Nicole and our dolls. We just need to get more AG party treats!

**Em10254** · January 12th, 2005, 08:32 PM

I will also need to do that. I don't know much about Japanese culture, and find that really interesting!

**Sakurako** · January 12th, 2005, 09:00 PM

Oh, Liz, I think we like the same kind of furry! My owner is named Thorfinn. Who owns you?

If you want to be somewhat correct in your celebrations, choose pink and green for sweets and decorations. For example, the pink & green petit fours from Sam's birthday would work well, without the candles, for sweet rice cakes. You could make ceremonial folded paper fans for your dolls and maybe color an oriental design on them before you fold them. Peach blossoms are the traditional flower for this festival. (Right, like I'm going to have peach trees in flower in CT at the beginning of March!) A tea party is a must, of course. And if you have dolls for your AGs, then the Dolls' dolls should attend. Enjoy!

**PrincessRuthie** · January 12th, 2005, 09:50 PM

Originally posted by Sakurako:
Oh, Liz, I think we like the same kind of furry! My owner is named Thorfinn. Who owns you?

If you want to be somewhat correct in your celebrations, choose pink and green for sweets and decorations. For example, the pink & green petit fours from Sam's birthday would work well, without the candles, for sweet rice cakes. You could make ceremonial folded paper fans for your dolls and maybe color an oriental design on them before you fold them. Peach blossoms are the traditional flower for this festival. (Right, like I'm going to have peach trees in flower in CT at the beginning of March!) A tea party is a must, of course. And if you have dolls for your AGs, then the Dolls' dolls should attend. Enjoy!

LOL, Cherry! You know that I also have an owner. Her name is Rosabella, or should I say Queen Rosabella.

Thanks for posting about Dolls' Day! I had no idea about it, but now I will totally celebrate. It'll be one of Ruthie's last parties before she starts her travels with you!

rolloverrover · January 12th, 2005, 09:55 PM

Sounds fun! I don't know very much about Asian culture myself, but I was planning to have Jin-Mei and Felicity celebrate Chinese New Year which is February 9 (2005 is the "Year of the Ox").

Oh, and MLK Day is Monday!

**ubarose** · January 12th, 2005, 10:20 PM

I have always wanted to more about the Doll Day Festival. One of the dolls in my collection is supposedly as doll specifically used for the festival. She has no legs. Her body is a solid peice of wood that comes to a point at the bottom. I don't know if any of this is true, but I was told that several dolls would be placed in a stand that was kind of tree shaped. The stand has "branches" with holes in it, and pointy end of the doll gets stuck in the hole. Of course, this could have been a bunch of malarky just to convince me to buy a doll that has no legs.

**QNPoohBear** · January 13th, 2005, 12:39 AM

Originally posted by ubarose:
I have always wanted to more about the Doll Day Festival. One of the dolls in my collection is supposedly as doll specifically used for the festival. She has no legs. Her body is a solid peice of wood that comes to a point at the bottom. I don't know if any of this is true, but I was told that several dolls would be placed in a stand that was kind of tree shaped. The stand has "branches" with holes in it, and pointy end of the doll gets stuck in the hole. Of course, this could have been a bunch of malarky just to convince me to buy a doll that has no legs.

My dad brought me back one of the dolls used on Hina Matsuri and she has no legs. I have never really celebrated but one year my friend Keiko took her daughter to a Girls' Day celebration in Providence. I will have to ask her more about Dolls' Day. My doll just sits on her stand and stares out of the doors of my wall unit.

I just read the CUTEST book which takes place during Dolls' Day called Ophelia's voyage to Japan, or, The mystery of the doll solved by Michele Durkson Clise. The main character is a teddy bear named Ophelia who owns a shop in Paris. She and her friends travel to Japan in search of the doll her friend Schnuffy was suppossed to send her.

**Em10254** · January 13th, 2005, 02:25 AM

Originally posted by Sakurako:
"Oh, Liz, I think we like the same kind of furry! My owner is named Thorfinn. Who owns you?"

LOL! Mine is my little black cat Nikolas. I have two others, Jelly and Patches, but Nik really owns me [img]tongue.gif[/img] . He is all black, except for a tiny white mark on his chest, and has huge yellow eyes. He has the funniest personality- he struts around like he owns the universe. He thinks he's a descendant of the first cats in Egypt [img]tongue.gif[/img] . Well, his mother was actually named Cleopatra, so that's not too far off [img]smile.gif[/img] .

I love the name Thorfinn, btw, that's really cool! My next male kitten is going to be named Finn or Finnegan, I have decided.

[ January 12, 2005 10:27 PM: Message edited by: *Elizabeth Margaret* ]