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

I can’t ask now…
"Who buys May dolls?"
Many people seem to have this question.


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 is the same across Japan.
I'll just give a general story here.


Who will buy the doll (helmet armor decoration) for my son's first festival?



Who, or which parent, buys the May doll?

Which family sends the Boys' Festival decorations? Children's Day Helmet First Boys' Festival

It seems that it is common for May dolls to be given or prepared by grandparents on the mother's side (the bride's side) .
Old customs

Common reasons: Why do wives' parents give gifts?

Purchased a May doll (helmet armor decoration) for my son's first festival.

This information also reflects common customs from when engagement ceremonies, weddings, etc. were held in a lavish manner.
Please read for reference only.

A man and a woman get married and start a household.

It was a traditional Japanese culture and custom for a man to give the daughter he had raised with care as a bride to his family.

At that time, the man's side will provide a "betrothal gift" to the woman's family.

The bride's side prepares a set of household goods for the bridegroom.
This is the bride's dowry.

Then, the couple starts living together and a boy is born, adding to their family.

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

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

Both of my maternal parents attended.

Who will buy this?

The history and customs of Children's Day

We offer May dolls (helmet armor decorations) for Children's Day.

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

It is passed on and handed down slowly through the ages.

However, if we take a long-term view, it is only in recent years that celebrations of seasonal festivals and Girls' Festivals have become popular among ordinary people's households.

More than 300 years ago, not everyone could celebrate seasonal festivals or Girls' Festival.

In the olden days, celebrations of Hinamatsuri and Tango no Sekku were lavish banquets for feudal lords, shoguns, and the noble classes.

Common people celebrated with Hina dolls and May dolls made from clay and paper.

It has only been in the last 70 years or so that modern, expensive Hina dolls and May dolls have been prepared for the Girls' Festival and Boys' Festival.



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?

How will you celebrate?

It's not surprising that such questions arise.

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

Therefore, in prefectures far from this region such as Okinawa and Aomori, the customs and traditions of celebrating with Hina dolls and May dolls tend to be somewhat less prevalent.

In fact, there seem to be very few stores selling Hina dolls or May dolls.

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

Celebrating Hinamatsuri and Tango no Sekku has been an annual event that people have taken part in since ancient times, so people learn who will buy the gifts from their parents, grandparents, or have conversations within the family as a tradition passed down through generations, and so it has become a natural part of their culture.

Considering the historical background of the story, I told him that it was in the last 50 years that the culture, customs and habits of the festival became widely known among the common people.

When someone from an area with strong customs marries someone from an area with weaker customs, it is natural that there will be some differences of opinion between the two families.

Nowadays, people from all over Japan have been purchasing May dolls from our company.



[Also recommended reading: The personality of Tokugawa Ieyasu]



[Also worth reading: The character of Date Masamune]

The character of Date Masamune

Japan's rapid economic growth and changing values ​​regarding childbirth

Japan's period of rapid economic growth and the birth of children

After the war, the Japanese had to start over from scratch.

Immediately after the war, there were no young men in their prime working years, and the economy was unstable.

As this continues for 10 or 20 years, the nation's strength will grow.

In addition, the lives of ordinary people also accelerated rapidly towards the period of high economic growth.

Along with this, the culture of celebrating the birth of a child has
It coincided with Japan's period of rapid economic growth and flourished all at once.



The birth of children after the war


Celebrating Boys' Festival with dolls: Prices rise with the bubble economy

Lavish and expensive celebration of Tango no Sekku

The celebration of the Boys' Festival has accelerated rapidly. 40 or 50 years ago,
The May dolls were large and often displayed in tiers, so they were inevitably quite expensive.

At that time, families who wanted to celebrate in a big way would prepare large carp streamers and warrior decorations for the outside.

In households that celebrate the Boys' Festival in a very lavish and extravagant way,
Apparently, sometimes more than 500,000 yen was spent.

In those days, when celebrating a birth, people would spend the most money on May dolls and hold a "celebration - a banquet for the common people."

This must have been difficult for your maternal parents as well, as they had to come up with the money.



Recent May Dolls | A gift for my son's first festival

Trends of first festival decoration buyers

In this way, it is customary for the May doll to be prepared by the mother's parents,
Unlike in the past, the question of who will buy it has become more diverse.

Nowadays, the dowry, which is the betrothal money mentioned earlier, has been simplified.
More and more people are splitting the cost of carp streamers and May dolls between both families.

There are also young couples who feel bad asking others to prepare the food, and so they prepare it themselves.

Nowadays, the May dolls (kabuki helmet decorations) are compact, and carp streamers are for balconies or indoors.
More and more people are choosing not to fly carp streamers.

There is a trend that smaller May dolls are selling well (and the prices are coming down).



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

There is a reason for everything.

Your children and grandchildren will soon be enjoying life to the fullest.

I hope that people will take another look at Japan's good old traditions and customs and move forward into the future.

In the son's mind, he has memories of the Tango Festival he spent with his mother and father and his family.

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

Children's Day Gifts

How to enjoy Children's Day events - Jump to another page

[A historical look at the Boys' Festival event]

[Transition to the event known as Tango no Sekku (Children's Day)]

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


Family has always been the closest and most comfortable place for 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.

I've said a lot, but who should buy a May doll? ____

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


A memorable Tango Festival for the family

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