Although it is not known precisely when began to be celebrated, it was probably during the reign of the
Empress Suiko (593628 AD). In Japan, was assigned to the fifth day of the fifth month after the
Nara period. was originally a day for women to purify the house by thatching the roof with
irises, which were believed to be effective in repelling evil spirits, and for women to rest their bodies, but it was changed to a day for boys in the
Kamakura period (1185–1333) when the
samurai class took control of the government. The reason for this was that the
calamus was a plant that represented the samurai because its leaves were shaped like the blade of a
Japanese sword, and the word , which means , had the same pronunciation as and was therefore considered an auspicious plant for the samurai. Since this period, (Japanese horseback archery) was held on May 5 as a way to ward off evil spirits. The custom of displaying miniature
Japanese armor and (helmets) on Children's Day, called , has its origins in the Kamakura to
Muromachi periods (1333–1573). Samurai used to take their armor, , and Japanese swords out of their storage boxes in May before the
rainy season to take care of them. Since this was the time of the , they began to display armor, , and Japanese swords in the hope of protecting their children. In the
Showa era (1926–1989), the popularity shifted from samurai dolls to miniature armor, and since the 21st century, miniature have become popular, probably due to the size of Japanese houses. The oak leaf used for is said to be a tree whose old leaves do not fall off until new leaves appear, and is considered a good-luck charm representing prosperity of offspring. Since irises are believed to have medicinal properties and to ward off evil, they are used for various purposes on . For example, people would take a bath with irises in the bathtub, soak thinly sliced iris roots or leaves in
sake and drink it, or put irises in thin
washi (Japanese traditional paper) before putting it in their pillows and going to bed. == See also ==