[For Seniors] Hina Matsuri (Girls’ Day) Trivia Quiz & Fun Facts. Recommended for Dementia Prevention Activities

clam (specifically, a Japanese hard clam or common orient clam)

For the Doll’s Festival (Hinamatsuri), clear clam soup (hamaguri no osuimono) is served. Hamaguri clams come in matching pairs, and their shells fit only with their original mate, so the dish carries the wish that one will meet a lifelong partner to stay with forever.

Hina-arare (colorful rice crackers for Hinamatsuri)

Hina-arare is a type of traditional Japanese confectionery offered during Hinamatsuri, the Doll’s Festival, which celebrates the Peach Festival. The colors on the arare are said to symbolize nature: white represents snow, green represents budding trees, and pink represents life.

Saitama Prefecture

Saitama Prefecture ranks first in Japan for the production value of Hina dolls. In particular, doll making is thriving in areas centered around Iwatsuki Ward in Saitama City, as well as Konosu City, Koshigaya City, and Tokorozawa City, and it has been designated as a traditional craft.

paper lantern (especially small decorative festival lantern)

The lantern-shaped items seen on either side of the Hina dolls are called bonbori. In the Edo period, weddings were held not during the day as they are today, but around 9 to 11 p.m. Because nothing could be seen without light at that time of night, bonbori appear to have been an essential item for weddings.

hishimochi (diamond-shaped layered rice cake for Hinamatsuri)

Hishimochi is a representative decoration displayed during the Doll Festival (Hinamatsuri) and is known as an offering to the hina dolls. The diamond shape and the three colors of hishimochi each carry meanings, embodying wishes for health and longevity, prosperity of descendants, and protection from evil.

hishi mochi (diamond-shaped layered rice cake)

It is said that hina-arare originated from hishi-mochi that was crushed and roasted to make it easier to eat outdoors.

Chirashi sushi

Because the word sushi is written with characters meaning “to administer longevity,” it came to be eaten on celebratory occasions. Among them, chirashi-zushi, with its colorful appearance, is said to be perfect for Hinamatsuri, a festival that prays for girls’ growth, and has reportedly been eaten since the Taisho era.