Happy Girls Day!

Mom's sister in Sendai, Japan sent us a very elaborate New Years card this year. 

The two white mounds on the card represents mochi (rice) patties. This is the sort of decorations that are placed on home altars during the new year.

There was even a sticker at the bottom that you were supposed to uncover to find your fortune for the new year. Needless to say, it foretold a very excellent year ahead for us. I certainly hope 2021 is a great year!

I've always had a special fondness for my Auntie Atsuko who is mom's youngest sister. 

I'd met her, my mother's parents and rest of the family for the first time when I traveled to Japan and stayed at my grandfather's temple for three weeks in 1970. It was part of a very reasonably priced college trip where 3 weeks were covered as part of an Art and Architecture course. You were on your own for the other 3 weeks. I'd planned to spend them with friends who were also on the trip until mom said I was to stay all three weeks in Sendai with relatives I'd never met before speaking a language that I was not totally comfortable with.

It turned out to be one of the most important times of my life and connected me to a family history I was only dimly attuned to. It was during this time that I became especially close to my grandmother and aunt. I was going through a rocky relationship with someone at the time and my aunt was the one who advised and consoled me.

When Art and I brought our children to Japan to meet my mother's family many years later, my aunt took me aside and said, "You have truly chosen wisely." That made me smile because Art couldn't speak or understand more than a few Japanese words, but she knew. In fact, I know she likes him a lot because she's given him some special things like my grandfather's old traditional house coat and some Japanese prints she knew he likes.

Today is Girls Day or Hinamatsuri in Japan. The 3rd day of the 3rd month is Girls Day. The 5th day of the 5th month is Boys Day or Tango no Sekku. May 5th is now celebrated as Children's Day encompassing both boys and girls.

However, I guess many Japanese people must still celebrate them separately as well since my aunt sent this card a couple of weeks ago.

We were absolutely amazed at how elaborate this card was.

It even came with directions on how to display it.

My aunt also enclosed a hanging display of colorful cutout pieces. Mom was so astonished and delighted that she asked us to send this to her granddaughter and great granddaughter in Illinois. She wanted KC to experience and understand a little of the Japanese cultural side of her heritage.

I am remembering a photo I saw of myself at my first Girls Day in Hawaii.

Yup. That's me. I was rather astonished at all the Girls Day dolls that are displayed here. I just asked mom how I managed to get all those dolls since I know they are NOT cheap. She says my paternal grandmother we lived with had purchased them all for me. I know she loved both me and my brother until her sad passing and was a rather adventurous, amazing woman. But that would be a topic for another story.

One thing makes me smile in this photo. Do you notice the American flags? I think my grandmother was celebrating the Japanese tradition she'd grown up with but was stating her allegiance to the country to which she now belonged.

I am blessed with my rather fabulous families from both countries.