GirlsDay 2022谷歌标志标志

3 March 2022
Girls' Day 2022
As winter blossoms into spring, today’s Doodle—illustrated by guest artist Kaya Doi—celebrates Japan’s Girls’ Day or Hinamatsuri (雛祭り), also called the Doll’s Festival. On this day, families wish for the health, growth, and happiness of Japan’s young girls, traditionally by displaying sets of costumed Hiina dolls that represent members of the imperial court dating back to Japan’s Heian period (A.D. 794 to 1185).

So what connection does the display of ornate dolls have with the happiness of Japan’s youth? During the Heian era, noble children played with Hiina (paper dolls), developing a tradition known as Hiina-Asobi (doll play). Members of the Imperial court believed the dolls would absorb the children’s bad luck, thus protecting them from evil spirits. In some regions of Japan, these dolls were released to float down a river. Now, people display porcelain dolls with brightly colored clothing—a tradition dating back to the Edo period—to celebrate and to wish girls health and prosperity with traditional foods such as Chirashi-Sushi.

Happy Girls’ Day, Japan!