[For Seniors] Introducing March Trivia!

Hina-arare is made by crushing hishi-mochi.

In March, during the Peach Festival (Hinamatsuri), many places likely display Hina dolls and hold events.

For Hinamatsuri, the dolls are sometimes displayed together with hina-arare (sweet rice puffs) and hishi-mochi (diamond-shaped rice cakes).

There are various reasons for displaying them together, but a prominent theory says that hina-arare originated from crushing hishi-mochi.

This is closely connected to an Edo-period custom called hina no kunimise.

In hina no kunimise, people would take the Hina dolls outdoors—to fields, hills, or riverbanks—and enjoy the spring scenery with them.

They are said to have brought along crushed hishi-mochi at that time, which became the origin of hina-arare.

Indeed, the colors of hishi-mochi and hina-arare are similar, aren’t they?

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Not only the first spring storm exists, but there are also the second and third.

Personally, I have the impression that strong gusts often blow in spring—how about you? The so-called “haru-ichiban” is something I vaguely think of as “a strong wind that blows in spring,” but borrowing the Japan Meteorological Agency’s wording, it’s defined as “a warm, somewhat strong southerly wind observed over a wide area between the beginning of spring (Risshun) and the spring equinox.” In fact, this haru-ichiban is sometimes followed by what people call haru-niban, haru-sanban, and so on.

However, these aren’t official JMA terms; they’re more at the level of expressions used on news programs.

I mean, if someone said “haru-gojuuban (spring number 50),” you’d be like… really?

A single strawberry has 200 seeds.

When we think of fruits that symbolize spring, strawberries are one of them.

Take a bite of a strawberry and you’ll notice its juicy flesh and sweet-tart flavor.

Do you also feel the little bumps in your mouth? Many people might think, “Are those seeds?” but it turns out they’re not.

In fact, those bumps are the actual fruits, and the seeds are inside them.

It’s said that a single strawberry has about 200 to 300 of these bumps.

That means the sweet-and-tart part we usually eat is what’s called an aggregate fruit, made up of 200 to 300 tiny fruits.

Strawberries may also be used for spring snack-time activities with seniors.

Sharing these fun strawberry facts could make those snack sessions even more enjoyable.

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It takes five months to make katsuobushi from skipjack tuna that are in season in March.

The story of katsuobushi made from skipjack tuna is truly fascinating.

It’s enjoyable to talk about Japan’s traditional food culture while feeling the season’s bounty.

Katsuobushi is crafted with care over as long as five months.

Its deep flavor and aroma are like treasures born from the artisans’ skills.

We use katsuobushi casually in everyday life, but knowing how much time and effort goes into making it makes us even more attached to it.

Next time you use katsuobushi in your cooking, why not take a moment to fully appreciate its flavor?

Hina-arare carries the meaning of a prayer for good health.

In spring, many facilities probably put up decorations for Hinamatsuri, the Doll’s Festival.

Some older adults may also display Hina dolls at home for their grandchildren.

The offering that accompanies the Hina dolls, called hina-arare (sweet rice puffs), carries wishes and meanings.

The four basic colors—pink, green, yellow, and white—are said to represent the four seasons.

Pink stands for spring when flowers are in full bloom; green for summer with fresh greenery; yellow for autumn with its foliage; and white for winter with snow.

These four colors embody the hope that girls will grow up healthy throughout the entire year.

Incidentally, three-colored hina-arare are said to express the wish to receive the energy of nature.

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Hina-arare is made from rice.

Hina-arare are made from rice, aren’t they? They’re made by deep-frying glutinous rice until it puffs and then seasoning it with sugar or soy-based coatings.

If you use food coloring, you can finish them in a variety of colors.

They look so cute, too.

You can even make them with leftover New Year’s mochi.

Apparently you can just bake cut mochi in the oven and that’s enough.

It’s said to be a traditional confection that dates back to the Edo period.

It’s one of the important sweets through which you can feel Japanese culture and customs.

It seems like it could be one of the delights of the Doll’s Festival (Hinamatsuri).

Hinamatsuri was originally an event to ward off evil spirits.

The Hinamatsuri we know today is a festival to pray for the health and growth of girls, right? Because it’s a long-standing part of Japanese culture, it’s probably familiar to many older people as well.

However, it originally had a different meaning.

The Peach Festival is said to have originated from the Shangsi Festival that began in ancient China.

The Shangsi Festival celebrated the arrival of spring and involved prayers for good health and safety; it was not specifically a celebration for girls.

People also purified themselves by entering rivers.

This practice stems from the belief that seasonal transitions allow harmful influences to enter the body and make one more prone to illness.

In Japan, the custom evolved into sending dolls down the river as substitutes, and eventually into displaying hina dolls.

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