Tuesday, March 06, 2007

Doll's Festival

March 3rd was Hina Matsuri or the Doll Festival (sometimes Girl's Day) in Japan. Females young and old (mostly young) all over the country set out their red-clothed, stepped platforms and doll displays representing the Emperor, Empress and their court. Below is an example. They are pretty impressive, the detail, the meanings behind everything. I won't tell you how much one of those costs. But you could examine one for hours and still find something new.

When I first moved here a good friend made me a set of dolls. They are hugely adorable and I set them out in the foyer every year. Every year but this one; I forgot.

On March fourth my husband asked where they were and I said I had been too busy to put them out. It was then that he reminded me about a tradition or superstition or something that his mother often repeats to me.

She says that at least once a year you must display every kind of doll you own, anything with eyes to be exact. If not, the spirit of the doll will come and do something bad to you. I just love that way of thinking. More so, the degree to which she believes it. With very little searching you can see the seed to a pretty decent horror story. When I get around to writing it, Chucky's gonna look like a girlie-boy.

All that said and done, I can still keep myself up at night when I ponder how many figurines, dolls, and assorted stuffed animals that I have boxed away, closeted -- all of them with eyes, no less -- and how disgruntled and moulding they just might be plotting my demise.