Girls’ day

Japanese are celebrating girls today, on March 3. Parents and other family members pray healthy grow up of little girls in traditional manners.

A set of dolls are decorated at homes, girls eat special cookies and drink “sake” like liquors. Those who drink the liquors must be grown up girls though.

So, the “girls’ day” is not only for little girls but for every girl, at least for whom thinks herself a girl.

Boys are celebrated on another day, May 5 instead. It should traditionally be natural to have two different days for girls and boys separately. If you are reluctant to be celebrated on these days, April 4 must be the day for you.

One thing I need to point out here is that May 5, traditional boys’ day is also called children’s day. More importantly May 5 is one of national holidays in Japan, while others (3/3 and 4/4) are not. As you are aware, Japan is yet to far from sexual equality, and the national holiday (5/5) may epitomize the society.

However, I should better defend law makers. They have changed the name of May 5 from boys’ day to children’s day, instead of establishing new holidays on March 3 and April 4, aiming sexual equality of children.
Girls are now celebrated twice both on “girls’ day” and “children’s day”. Oh, those who are celebrated twice are little girls, not matured girls, I understand.

Do we have to integrate girls’ day and boys’ day into a single new ”Children’s day” in order to realize gender equality?