HinamatsuriorHina Matsuri (雛祭 , in kana: ひなまつり;) is the Doll FestivalinJapan. On 3rd of March, people display dolls (雛人形; hinaningyō) dressed in old-style kimonos. Formerly, people believed the dolls possessed the power to contain bad spirits in their bodies, and would thus save the owner from dangerous encounters.
The origin of HinamatsuriisHinanagashi (雛流し; literally, "doll floating";) in which paper dolls are put into a boat and sent on a journey down a river into the sea, taking with them the bad spirits.
It is a celebration especially for girls, and is sometimes called the "Girl's Festival".
The customary drink for the festival is amazake, a sweet beverage made from fermented riceorsake lees.
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