SPRINGTIME CONNECTIONS

A SEASON OF APPRECIATION AND NEW BEGINNINGS

BY SCRAP Global Team

In Japan, March is a season to show appreciation for our loved ones and celebrate human relationships. Take a look at 3 of the more subtle cultural events happening in March!

Hinamatsuri (Girl’s Day)

Hinamatsuri is a traditional festival held every year on March 3rd, where people celebrate and pray for the health and success of young girls. One of the main customs of this celebration is to display a set of dolls (at least two, one male and one female) on a red cloth in one’s home. Some especially elaborate displays will use a multi-tiered stand and hold many intricately crafted dolls and ornaments, but simple displays of paper dolls are also very common. Some other customs involve enjoying traditional foods such as multi-colored rice cakes and sweet sake.

Graduation Season

March is the month of school graduation, which marks both the end of an important milestone and the start of a new chapter in the lives of students across Japan. The timing also lines up with the cherry blossom season, which adds to the symbolism of change and growth.

There are some graduation customs unique to Japan, such as wearing traditional Japanese attire for high school and university graduates. And the bittersweet experience can also sometimes be expressed through exchanging letters between students and teachers, as well as giving small souvenirs to classmates as a memento for all the great memories created together.

Especially interesting is the custom of boys giving the second button of their uniform jacket to the person they love. The second button is symbolic because position-wise it’s the closest to one’s heart, making this action represent expressing one’s heart-felt emotions to another. The origins of this custom can be traced back to World War II, for men would give the second button of their uniforms to their families as a memento before heading off to war.

Nowadays, it’s more common for girls to ask a boy directly to give her a button, even if it isn’t the second one from the top, which is why all of the buttons are usually gone by the end of the day!

White Day

If you didn’t already know, Valentine’s Day in Japan originally had a specific custom where women give chocolate to men to express their affection and appreciation. Then, White Day was created exactly one month later on March 14th, to allow men to return the favor. This day was originally called “Marshmallow Day”, because the staple treat to give at the time was marshmallows. But as time went on, other sweets like white chocolate and candy became popular, causing the name to change to “White Day”.

In recent times, the custom is now much more flexible, with people giving each other gifts on both Valentine’s Day and White Day regardless of their gender or relationship status, simply finding joy in showing appreciation for the people close to them.

As March unfolds in Japan, these traditions remind us of the importance of gratitude, growth, and connection. So let’s all remember to take a step back every now and then and cherish the relationships that shape us.