MARCH - JAPANESE FLOWER CALENDAR
Peach Momo
The Peach produces amazingly beautiful blossom usually in pink and symbolises happiness in marriage. On the third day of the third month arrangements are done using pink and yellow flowers to celebrate the Girls day. The peach flowers are always used in this girls festival with ceremonial dolls. The festival is also known as the Dolls festival (Hina Matsuri) it is the day that young girls, usually around the age of three, make their first visit to the temple dressed in their finest clothes. This festival dates back to the time when straw or paper dolls were placed by babies to protect them from disease. On the 3rd of March the dolls were floated down the rivers to carry the disease away.
Haiku for peach
By the old temple
Peach-blossoms
A man treading rice
Basho
