The hinamatsuri, literally a doll festival, is held every year on March 3. It celebrates the good health of girls as the warmth of spring dawns. Before the Japanese adopted the Gregorian calendar, the date coincided with the blossoming of the peach tree around April. The peach tree is still the symbol of this festival and is used in the decorations, which are often lavish and extremely detailed. Little girls prepare for this festivity by setting up dolls, sometimes handed down from generation to generation.