| Newborn baby boys are first honored with
a hatsuzekku or Boys Festival on May 5 of each
year. It is an auspicious occasion upon which parents
pray that their sons will grow up healthy, strong and
successful. These festivals carry on a tradition dating
back to the samurai culture of the Edo Period. Decorative
displays of miniature suits of Japanese-style armor and
the flying of koinobori, or carp streamers, are
reminiscent customs of this special time. |
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| Musha ningyo, or warrior doll
displays, are arranged in homes during this time. The
warrior dolls are an embodiment of the wishes that sons
grow up to be strong and brave. |
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| Among the foods eaten on this day are kashiwa
mochi (rice cakes wrapped in oak leaves) and chimaki
(rice dumplings wrapped in bamboo leaves). |
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