Japan is a land of festivals and national holidays.  Every village has a festival when the rice is planted and harvested. 

The third day of the third month ( March 3 ) is Girls' Festival, when girls dress in beautiful kimonos.  They display their best dolls in the traditional costumes inside their homes.  These are special dolls and the girls do not play with them.  The dolls represent the Emperor, the Empress, and their court. 

The fifth day of the fifth month ( May 5 ) is Children's Day when boys tie huge paper carps (fish) to poles in their gardens or attached to the house.  A carp flag is flown outside Japanese homes for each boy in the family.  Live carp are very brave.  Japanese parents hope their sons will be as brave as the carps.