Mar 03, 2017
Girls' Day 2017
This Doodle’s Key Themes
Girls’ Day, also known as “Hinamatsuri” or “Doll’s Day,” is a day-long Japanese festival to wish for the health and wellbeing of young girls. On March 3rd, sprawling displays of ornate dolls sparkle atop 7-tiered red carpet platforms—with each step representing a different layer of society from the Heian period (an era considered to be the peak of the Japanese imperial court). In the traditions of this time (794-1185), straw hina dolls were floated out in little boats, taking with them the troubles and dark spirits of the believers who set them out to sea.
This Doodle features the stars of the first platform: the Emperor who holds a ritual baton in his hands and the Empress with her fan. Between them, two vases of peach branches were said to bring good luck, as the very beginnings of their seasonal bloom often corresponded with this day of feminine celebration.
Where this Doodle appeared
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