Hinamatsuri occurs on March 3 and is an occasion to play for young girls' growth and happiness.

The origin of hinamatsuri is an ancient Chinese practice in which the sin of the body and misfortune are transferred to a doll and washed away by setting the doll in a river to draft away, on March the day of the Serpent.
It dateｓ back as far as Heian period(794-1185) that this practice spread to Japan. "The Tale of Genji" has the scene where paper dolls were thrown to the river for one's substitute.
Then, it was liked to girl's playing with dolls and, in the Muromachi period(1392-1573), was developed into the hinamatsuri. And in the Edo period(1603-1867), ｔhe date of the festival for girlｓ was fixed for March 3.

Most homes with girls display hina-dolls for the hinamatsuri and dedicate to them peach blossoms, hina-arare(雛あられ rice cake cubes), hishimochi (菱餅 special colored and diamond-shaped rice cakes), shirozake(白酒 white sake), and other items.

A "Dairi-bina (内裏雛 dool Emperor and Eempress consor)" in ancient costume, patterned after the Emperor and Eempress consor, are placed on the highest tier of a five- or seven-tiered stand covered with a red carpet, and under them come "Udaijin, Sadaijin (右大臣・左大臣 the Minister of the Right, Minister of the Left), "Sannin-kanjo (三人官女 the three court ladies", and "Gonin-bayashi (五人囃子 the five court musicians, among others)".