Who buys the Boys' Festival dolls (helmet decorations)? Which parents should prepare them?

It's too late to ask now: "Who buys May dolls?"

It seems that many people have such questions.

On this page, we will answer the question, "Who will buy a May doll?"

We will explain about:

Who buys May dolls?

The custom of celebrating children's growth with May dolls on Children's Day, or Tango no Sekku, on May 5th,
It varies slightly depending on the region of Japan.

Not everything in Japan is the same.
Here I will give a general story.

Who will buy the May doll (helmet and armor decoration) for my son's first Doll's Festival?

Who, or which parent, buys the May doll?

Which family will send the Children's Day decorations?

It seems that May dolls are often given by grandparents on the mother's side (the bride's side).

Common reasons: Why send gifts from the wife's parents' home?

-- My son's first festival doll (helmet armor decoration) was purchased and will be available for Children's Day. --

This information also comes from a time when engagement ceremonies and weddings were held in a grand manner.

Please read for reference only.

When your child is happily getting married, what should you do as a parent?

There was a belief that men would raise their daughters with great care and then marry them off to their own families.

In such cases, it was common for the man to provide a "doyu" (betrothal gift) to the woman's family.

The woman prepares a set of household goods as she is going to get married.
This is the bride's dowry.

Then, when a baby boy was born to the couple, their family grew.

The bride's parents on the mother's side celebrate by giving May dolls and carp streamers.

If the baby is a girl, the mother's parents (the bride's side) will give her a Hina doll and celebrate her first Doll's Festival.

Both of my maternal parents went there.

History and Customs of Children's Day

We have May dolls (helmet and armor decorations) for Children's Day available.

Customs and culture are "events and practices that have been passed down from generation to generation since ancient times."

It has been passed down and bestowed slowly over the ages.

It is said that this custom was passed down among samurai families in the past.
In the long run, it is only recently that festivals and Hinamatsuri have become popular in the homes of ordinary people.

More than 300 years ago, common people celebrated festivals and Hinamatsuri.

It wasn't something that everyone could do.

The ancient celebrations of Hinamatsuri and Tango no Sekku
It was a lavish banquet reserved for daimyo, shoguns, and nobles.

Common people would make Hina dolls out of clay or paper,
We celebrated with May dolls.

Modern expensive Hina dolls for the Girls' Festival and Boys' Festival,
I think it's only been in the last 70 years or so that people have started preparing May dolls.

Are there regional differences in the purchase of May dolls (helmet and armor decorations)?

Do you prepare May dolls even in areas where customs and traditions are not common?

For example, how will you celebrate?

I can't even think about such a question.

For a long time, the cultural center of Japan was Kyoto, which gradually shifted to Edo.

Therefore, in Okinawa Prefecture and Aomori Prefecture, which are far from this region, Hina dolls,
There are fewer customs and traditions to celebrate with May dolls.

In fact, there are only a few stores that sell Hina dolls and May dolls.

On the other hand, people living in the Kyoto and Tokyo areas

The celebration of Hinamatsuri and Boys' Festival is celebrated annually,

They may have heard from their parents, grandparents, or others who will buy it.

It's a family conversation that has been passed down for generations.

It is a natural custom and has become deeply rooted in culture.

Considering the background of the times,

Over the past 50 years, festival culture, customs, and traditions have spread widely to the common people.

There are people in areas where seasonal customs are important, and people in areas where the customs are not so important.

When it comes to marriage, it's natural that there will be some differences of opinion between the two families.

Currently, people from all over Japan purchase May dolls from our company.

Japan's rapid economic growth and changing values regarding the birth of children

--Japan's period of rapid economic growth and the birth of children--The Japanese had a zero-sum prospect of starting afresh.

The Bubble Era and the Increase in Size of Boys' Festival

--A lavish and large celebration of Boys' Day--

The celebration of Boys' Day has also accelerated, and 40 or 50 years ago,
The May dolls were large and often displayed in tiers, so the prices were inevitably high.

The other day, a family who wanted to celebrate in a big way
Large carp streamers and warrior decorations were also prepared for outdoor decoration.

In families that celebrate the Boys' Festival in a very lavish and extravagant way,
Apparently, it sometimes cost more than 500,000 yen.

It was an era when people wanted to celebrate a baby's birth by spending the most money on May dolls, which was a celebration for the common people.

This means that your maternal parents also had a hard time dealing with money.

Recent May Doll Trends

Trends among first-time festival decoration buyers

>As you can see, it is common for the May doll to be prepared by the mother's parents,
Unlike in the past, there are now many different opinions about who will buy it.

Nowadays, we can see the simplification of the dowry, which is the betrothal gift.
More and more people are splitting the cost of carp streamers and May dolls between both families.

There are also young couples who are preparing them, and it seems that the number of different types of weddings is increasing.

Compact May dolls (helmet ornaments) are currently in fashion, and there are so many carp streamers available for balconies or indoors that it's impossible to list them all.

Small May dolls are selling well
(The amount has also been kept down.)

The purpose and significance of Children's Day

What is the purpose of Children's Day? For whom?

There is a reason for everything.

For your children and grandchildren who will be enjoying life from now on.

Let's reexamine Japan's good old traditions and customs,
I hope this tradition will be passed on to future generations.

When he grows up, his son will have his mother and father in his mind.
The Tango Festival you spend with your family will become an irreplaceable memory.

Hinasei believes that the main goal is to mark each year in this way.

How to enjoy Children's Day events

[Historical perspective of Boys' Festival events]

[Transition of Tango no Sekku to Children's Day]

[Parents' feelings for their children have not changed from the past to the present]

With this feeling in mind, I would like to enjoy Golden Week as a family, watching my son grow every year.


For more details, please see How to Enjoy Children's Day Events (link to another page)

Final conclusion: Who should buy a May doll?

Family has always been the closest and most comforting place to us.

It's a place you can always return to with peace of mind.

And the child, having felt so much love from this family, will surely go on to form a wonderful family.

There are many things to consider, but who should buy a May doll? ____<

I think it should be purchased by someone who should love the child.