First Festival of the Year - Hatsuzekku

This is the first festival that a newborn baby celebrates. Girls are given Hina dolls on the March festival, and boys are given warrior dolls and banners on the May festival by relatives and others, and in return people invite guests or give hishimochi, chimaki, or kashiwamochi. However, in the olden days, there was no distinction between the March and May festivals for boys and girls, and it was common for both boys and girls to receive Hatsuhina and Hatsutenjin clay dolls from relatives and others on the first festival in March. In Shizuoka Prefecture, there is a custom of flying a kite, called Hatsuage, on the first festival in May for boys, and young people in the town celebrate this. There are also customs in various regions to celebrate boys and girls on festivals such as Tanabata, Hassaku, and Inoko, and in Tochigi Prefecture, in the former Aso District of Tanuma Town (now Sano City), there was a custom of giving a horse-mounted warrior doll called Kinkoma to homes with boys on the first festival of Hassaku. It is customary throughout the country to give boys hamaya arrows and bows, and girls hagoita and temari balls on the first New Year's day.

[Oto Tokihiko]

Source: Shogakukan Encyclopedia Nipponica About Encyclopedia Nipponica Information | Legend

生児が初めて迎える節供のこと。女児には三月節供に雛(ひな)人形、男児には五月節供に武者人形や幟(のぼり)を、里方や親戚(しんせき)その他から贈られるので、返しに招客したり、菱餅(ひしもち)や粽(ちまき)、柏餅(かしわもち)を贈る。しかし、古くは3月と5月の節供を男女に区別せず、3月の初節供に男女ともに里方や親戚から初雛、初天神の泥人形を贈る習わしが多かった。静岡県では、男児の五月初節供にハツアゲといって、凧(たこ)を揚げる風習があり、町内の若者がこれを祝ってくれる。また七夕(たなばた)、八朔(はっさく)、亥(い)の子などの節供に男女児を祝う風は各地にあり、栃木県の旧安蘇(あそ)郡田沼町（現佐野市）では八朔の初節供に男児のある家へキンコマという馬上の武者人形を贈る習慣があった。初正月に男児には破魔矢(はまや)・弓、女児には羽子板(はごいた)・手毱(てまり)を贈ることは全国的に行われている。

［大藤時彦］

出典　小学館　日本大百科全書(ニッポニカ)日本大百科全書(ニッポニカ)について　情報 | 凡例