Lee’s culture: Hinamatsuri Food and Snacks

※This article was published at March 2015.※

Hinamatsuri is Girl’s Day, celebrated on March 3. 

It’s a special day for families to celebrate and wish for their daughters. 
Today, I’m writing about the most common snacks and food eaten on this day!
 
20150304-09-03-hinamatsuri-snack-hinaarare 
 
Hina-arare (ひなあられ): These come in four colours: pink, green, yellow and white. 
These are said to represent the four seasons from spring through to winter. 
The wish is for the family’s daughters to be happy throughout the year in all four seasons.
 
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Hishi-mochi (菱餅, Diamond Mochi): This is a decoration and snack where green, white and pink mocha cut into diamond shapes are stacked on top of each other. 
The green represents ‘land’, the white represents ‘snow’ and the pink represents the ‘peach flowers that blossom in the spring time’. 
Also, the diamond shape is said to represent the heart, and is therefore a wish for the daughter’s long life.
 
20150304-09-01-hinamatsuri-snack-hinaarare 
 
Hamaguri Soup (蛤のお吸い物): In the Heian period (794-1192), “shell matching” was a popular game.
In order for the shells to match in the game, you need to find the matching shell. 
Japanese people believed that this represented a “good fit” between men and women, and parents hoped for good marriages for their daughters.


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