Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1913-07-19
The Festival of
the Dolls

The girls festival of dolls In ia
pan begins March and lasts from
two days to month. This is Q festi
val Of great interest to all the girls
big and little-of Japan, for at thi'
time they entertain their friends ant
relatives and display the gifts they
have received. They are very pleased
and proud to do this, just as girls II
America would be under similar cir
cumstances.
In Japan when little girl BABY
is born, Just before the next succeed
ing Sd of March her parents anG
frineds present her with gifts to be
displayed at this festival. Every 81
Of March on following years moro
presents are given, until, as she
grows older, in time she possesses 6
large collection. The collection In
cludes many dolls, but also many 9th
er articles, for these gifts are not
intended to be used as playthings, but
are considered to be part Of a girls
education. Tea sets are presented
that she may become familiar with
the ceremonies connected with tea
drinking, and these ceremonies are
very elaborate; kitchen utensils, cab
inets, mirrors and toilet articles are
given, that she may know their use;
also miniature furniture as used in a
nobleman's house, to show how the
higher classes live.
Dolls are dressed to represent the
emperor and empress, with their at.
tendants, guards and musicians, that
the little girl may be familiar with
their appearance. Usually three at
tendants, two guards and five mu.
sicians are in a group. A girl is thus
trained to be intelligent in many
ways while she is enjoying the de-
light Of the dolls festival
A day or two before March 8 the
various presents that have been re.
ceived are arranged on a series of
shelves, one above another; and,
when the great day arrives, the girl
is dressed in her prettiest clothes,
and she invites her playmates and
friends to come and see my gifts. :"
A little feast is spread for the visit
ors, as Is always the case when the
Japanese entertain; rice, cakes ana
sweets are handed around, and the
occasion is made more important by
the cakes being placed in miniature
reproductions Of the dishes in which
wedding cakes are served. The quaint
little ceremony is a very pretty one.
The sweet little Japanese maid, with
her shining black hair, is arrayed in
bright kimono and obi and her
guests are seated upon cushions that
ere placed upon the neat straw mat
ting that covers the floor. The little
girl hostess is the center Of interest
as she kneels before her guests and
offers them her party refreshments.
While the girls are small. their pres.
ents are arranged for them; but,
when they get to be ten or twelve
years old, they are allowed the pleas
ure of arranging for themselves.
The time during which tho gifts are
displayed varies in different cities and
different families. from q few days to
a month. When the time has expired.
each doll and every other article Is
packed away In its own small box, and
then all these small boxes are put into
one large one, and that is packed away
in the storehouse, where it remains I'M
disturbed until the next March 3. The
articles are all packed separately in
this way so that the little girl may
have pleasure long drawn out by TAX
ing them out one by one. 1t would be
hardly fair for little girls to have all
this enjoyment without some eQuiva-
lent being provided for the boys, and
their turn comes May s, which Is the
beginning Of the boys kite festival, i"
the complement to the girls doll
festival"