Girls’ Day

On Saturday, March 3, the elementary division students gathered for third and fourth period in the auditorium and celebrated “Girl’s Day/The Doll Festival.” (Hina Matsuri). The purpose of “Girl’s Day” is to pray for the health and happiness   for young girls as they grow up.

Amiya-Sensei decorated the front of the stage with the “Hina Ningyou,” the traditional dolls that Japanese households display on Girl’s Day.  These dolls are from the long-time collection of the Amiya family, and every year Amiya-Sensei displays these dolls for the Long Beach students.  For the first activity, student’s folded origami rerpresentations of O-hina-sama (princess’s) and butterflies.  Along with this, they played fun Hiragana games.

Afterwards, the students sat together in front of the stage decorated by the Hina-Ningyou dolls and very attentively received an explanation from Amiya-Sensei on the history and significance of the dolls.  Different from the dolls the children could hold in their hands and play with, these gorgeous, kimono-wearing Hina-Ningyou captured the students’ attention with a more serious tone.

Finally, everyone enjoyed a small lunch party with chirashi-zushi, sweet crispy rice crackers, and strawberry short cake.

According to the Chinese Zodiac, this year is the year of the Dragon. All children were asked to make a new year’s greeting card by drawing a dragon on the card. Drawing a dragon for the new year’s card seemed like a big challenge for the children.

The arts and crafts activity was making a Cherry Blossom Tree using a “blow paint” technique. You start by putting some paint on a piece of construction paper. Then you use a straw to blow air and control the direction in which you want the pattern of your design to go. In this case, depending on how you blow through the straw, the paint can form very thick trees or very thin and gentle ones. Some of the children got ink all over their arms, but they continued blowing very hard through the straw.

Some children played a matching game with Hiragana/Katakana (ひらがな・カタカナ) cards and Karutatori (かるたとり). It was half a day of activities for all children, but everyone could enjoy and feel a traditional Japanese new years.

It was the first day of class for the new year. All children gathered and enjoyed traditional Japanese new year’s games, arts and crafts, making new year’s greeting cards, and mochi.

“Fuku Warai” is a traditional Japanese new year’s game (similar to pin the tail on the donkey). First, you have to wear a blindfold. Second, two people guide you through the right order of assembling the face. If you receive unbelievable directions, the face you put together will be really messed up!

 (Huku Warai)

 (New Year’s Greeting Cards)

 (Blow Painting)

To learn more about these fun activities please check out the other sections on the home page.