Tuesday, March 24, 2009

Kimono Cuties

Click on photos t0 enlarge! "Never let your sense of morals get in the way of doing what's right."
Isaac Asimov
Honolulu in the 1850's

"When we were children, we used to think that when we were grown-up we would no longer be vulnerable. But to grow up is to accept vulnerability... To be alive is to be vulnerable."
Madeleine L'Engle


Husband & Wife

"A successful marriage is an edifice that must be rebuilt every day."
Andre Maurois




Picture Brides en route to new lives in Hawaii

"Marriage. It's like a cultural hand-rail. It links folks to the past and guides them to the future."
Diane Frolov and Andrew Schneider







Back "in the day," many Asian men came to Hawaii as contract laborers intending to return home with their savings at the end of the contract period. Lots of these single men decided to stay on in the Kingdom (later the Republic, then the Territory) and sent back to their home countries for wives. Some marriages were arranged by families; other wives were chosen by the men themselves from among "picture brides."



These pioneering Hawaii couples usually had their pictures professionally taken, and they sent copies back to family in "the old country." The men wore suits to betoken their successful adaptation to "the west." But they wanted to preserve their culture, and for their wives to remain traditional. Hence the genre of Kimono pictures. In the earliest times, the wife would wear her own best kimono. In later days, the photographer might own the clothing used in the "shoot."




Even today in Hawaii, especially on "Girl's Day" or Hina Matsuri in March, local children still dress in kimono to be photographed. A tradition that used to be specific to the local Japanese community is now enjoyed by girls and families from all walks of island life.




Hina Matsuri has its roots in an ancient Shinto spring-welcoming ritual celebrating the Earth's annual renewal. It is sometimes referred to as the "peach festival" ("momo no sekku") because the peach symbolizes softness, mildness, peacefulness, happiness and marriage.


The festival is also the time when Japanese families bring out a "hina ningyo," or "doll display." "Hina Matsuri," in fact, translates as "doll festival. The full hina ningyo can encompass up to seven tiers, topped by dolls representing an Emperor and Empress of the Heian Period (794-1192). The lower tiers display three ladies-in-waiting, court musicians, government officials, and footmen in imperial livery. The bottom one contains items of daily life such as carriages, dressers, plates and peach trees.




Less-than-wealthy families usually started their Hina Ningyo with the emperor and empress dolls, then added to the collection year by year. It was said that anticipating each year's new doll would cultivate patience, respect, diligence and responsibility in the family daughters. The hina ningyo was put on display about two weeks before Hina Matsuri, then taken down on that day. It was believed that leaving the display up beyond March 3 would cause the girl(s) to marry late.




In today's Hawaii, community organizations host events where girls are invited to be dressed up by professional kimono dressers, and to have their pictures taken. Girls who possess their own kimono are encouraged to wear them and take part in a parade.
A L O H A! Cloudia






15 comments:

  1. I find it is often the events, the small celebrations within a culture that best defines it, Be it a bologna festival in Yale MI, or Hina Matsuri in Honolulu. It is the events celebrating together the little cohesive ideas that make a community.

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  2. such an interesting post!

    namaste and aloha

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  3. The first photo (vintage postcard) of your previous post is very beautiful.
    My husband and I go on vacation to Martinique Island in Caribbean Islands. Some people from China came to Martinique and Guadeloupe and a lot of people from India came too. Our friend Martinican friend got married with a Guadeloupean man from India. Thay live in Guadeloupe near the volcano "La Souffrière". Le last time we went over there the volcano smoked. ALOHA, Cloudia !

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  4. Wow.. that is very interesting! Never knew any of that. Now I do.

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  5. I have read about the Asian cultural history in California, but not Hawaii (though I knew it was there). Would make a great novel.

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  6. Hi Cloudia! This is a most interesting tradition! New to me, but I enjoyed reading about it! Thanks and have a great week!

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  7. I love the L'Engle quote. She was my favorite author when I was a young girl. A Wrinkle in Time was my favorite book.

    As for the picture brides, I can't imagine having been one of them. Marriage is hard enough without starting it by being selected like a nice steak.

    Peace - D

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  8. What a wonderful tradition ... have you done it, had your photo taken wearing a kimono?

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  9. The kimono is so elegant, I would love to own and wear one. I believe there is a definite art to dressing oneself in a kimono?

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  10. Walking Man: Little things do mean alot!

    Magic Eye: aloha & namaste, friend!

    Claude: Thank you, Merci, for those wonderful words!

    Aloha, BW!!!!

    JunosMom: Yes! A book: "Honolulu" and film: "Pictue Bride."

    Wil: Aloha & thank you for your kind visit.

    RiverPoet: Really!

    Hi, Deborah.

    Daryl: No, and I've never surfed either. My one hula experience only taught me how difficult it really is. I just write about it all.

    Ake: It is an art. You could be dressed & photo-ed I'm sure. I never have - but you remind me of years ago when I worked in a hippy fabric store in Philadelphia and we wrapped buyers in 12 feet of fabric Sari.......Aloha!

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  11. I think kimonos are elegant and colorful. I would look like a sack of potatoes in a kimono, but I like to look at them on small women.

    Quotes are superb, as usual.

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  12. A wonderful article and so interesting to learn of another culture. The old photographs are wonderful. I have lways been fascinated with the national dress from different countries. I remember when a young Japanese teacher visited our school and entered our classroom in her Kimono. I was in awe. It was so beautiful. I thought she was a princess.

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  13. Cloudia,

    Isn't Asimov's quote from one of his characters in the Foundation series... The Second Mayor on Terminus if I recall correctly, or am I wrong? I am quite curious.

    I'd check, as I just read them a few weeks ago, but I passed them on...

    Tschuess,
    Chris

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  14. Cloudia,

    I stopped in at the bookstore. Because I had to check.

    The quote was first used in Asimov's book "Foundation" of the Foundation and Empire series.

    The quote comes from a character called Salvor Hardin, the second mayor of Terminus.

    Tschuess,
    Chris

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