Happy "Hina Matsuri" (Girls Day) to all my sisters on RallyPoint!

SFC Mark Merino — Tue, 03 Mar 2015 16:41:30 -0500

March 3 is Japanese Girls' Day called hina-matsuri in Japanese. The celebration for Japanese girls is also known as Doll's Day, while Japanese Boys' Day is May 5. People display a set of hina dolls and props in the house, wishing girls' healthy growth and happiness.

Traditionally, parents or grandparents of a newborn girl buy a set of gorgeous hina dolls unless they have special dolls, which are inherited from generation to generation. Hina dolls are dressed in Japanese ancient costumes and are displayed on the shelves of a stand covered with a red carpet usually from the end of February to March 3.

In addition to the costumed dolls organized on platforms representing , food and drink play a role on Girls' Day, with rice wine and rice cakes taking center stage, along with flower blossoms and of course the dolls.

Hina-matsuri is also called momo-no-sekku, which means a festival of peach blossoms. Peach blossoms, shiro-zake (white fermented rice wine), and hishi-mochi (diamond shaped rice cakes) are placed on the stand with the hina dolls. Hishi-mochi are colored in pink (implies peach flowers), white (implies snow), and green (implies new growth).

Traditionally, girls in Japan invited their friends to a home party and had a good time. Many people still prepare a special meal for girls on this day. Common food for hina matsuri are chirashizushi, sugar-flavored sushi rice vinegar with raw fish on top and a variety of other ingredients; clam soup served in the shell; and sakura-mochi, a pink, sweet rice cake.

On behalf of all of us men who are genetically disposed to "step in it" from time to time, please accept our apologies and enjoy being pampered for the rest of the day. You all deserve it. I am a lousy sushi chef so Hitomi and I are going out to eat. "Omedetou!" (Congrats)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zX6bWFnbhq0

Hitomi Kato SSG V. Michelle Woods PV2 Private RallyPoint Member 1LT Sandy Annala CMSgt Private RallyPoint Member PO1 Private RallyPoint Member SGT Private RallyPoint Member LTC Private RallyPoint Member TSgt Hunter Logan SGT Private RallyPoint Member and all the hard working ladies on the RallyPoint Team.

Hinamatsuri

Something I had to do for Japanese class.

Response by PV2 Private RallyPoint Member made Mar 3 at 2015 5:12 PM

PV2 Private RallyPoint Member — Tue, 03 Mar 2015 17:12:44 -0500

私は光栄ですありがとう
Thank you I am honored!

Response by PO1 Private RallyPoint Member made Mar 3 at 2015 5:29 PM

PO1 Private RallyPoint Member — Tue, 03 Mar 2015 17:29:43 -0500

Aw thanks for the shout out! :)

Response by SPC David Shaffer made Mar 3 at 2015 6:53 PM

SPC David Shaffer — Tue, 03 Mar 2015 18:53:04 -0500

Thank you for the information. I always love to learn something new.

Response by CMSgt Private RallyPoint Member made Mar 3 at 2015 7:13 PM

CMSgt Private RallyPoint Member — Tue, 03 Mar 2015 19:13:03 -0500

Arigatou gozaimasu, Uncle Mark-san!

Had I known it was girls' day, I would have planned a mani-pedi and hair-braiding.. Alas, next year! Lol
:)

Response by SSG V. Michelle Woods made Mar 3 at 2015 10:20 PM

SSG V. Michelle Woods — Tue, 03 Mar 2015 22:20:29 -0500

Such a sweetheart, thank you :)

Response by SFC Mark Merino made Mar 3 at 2015 10:36 PM

SFC Mark Merino — Tue, 03 Mar 2015 22:36:00 -0500

I saw an episode of NHK (Japan tv) and some of those dolls are $4,000! Some have been in families for centuries. They are hand-made, usually 7 layers of cloth (traditional wear) and made onto a wooden body and the head and hands are hand-carved. The makers of the hina dolls are masters who have been making them as their fathers before them going back over a millennium. Not your typical "Barbie."

Response by SGT Private RallyPoint Member made Mar 3 at 2015 10:38 PM

SGT Private RallyPoint Member — Tue, 03 Mar 2015 22:38:33 -0500

Thanks, Unca' Mark! I learned something new today. =)