March 3rd is Girl’s festival and May 5th is Boy’s festival in Japan. But festival doesn’t mean to have a party, sing, dance and drink as something fun and loud. Mainly it seems to be another 1 st birthday.All parents wish for their children’s health and happiness. If they have a daughter, they will celebrate March 3rd. Parents purchase a set of Hina dolls
and display at home with a decoration of peach branches and have a typical dishes as clam soup, wishing for happy marriage, chirashi zushi( a kind of sushi) shirozake ( a kind of sake) and hishimochi ( mochi) and arare (rice cracker).
If they have a son they will get decoration of samurai armor with tiger and a decoration of flowers called Shobu which are a kinds of iris. Shobu means a match or a fight in Japanese and parents wish their sons must win a battle, be strong. Also if they have a space in the garden they get Koinobori, wishing for their health and strong and successful life. Koinobori is like this.
Wikipedia will explain better. =)
In Chinese legend after a carp swim upstream the big waterfall, the carp will be a dragon. This is also a symbol of success.
I think that in old days and maybe still now , they think girls’ happiness in their happy marriage with a single husband whole their lives. Happiness of a girl was (is) considered more personal and domestic. Happiness of a boy was to be brave and successful in society. True?