Celebrations, My English Reader, Class VI, DAV Board, The Best, Section – A

Section – A

A.1.

Section – A

Summary of Hina Matsuri

Hina Matsuri, celebrated on March 3rd in Japan, is a special festival dedicated to girls. On this day, Japanese families display beautiful traditional dolls that represent the Emperor, Empress, palace staff, and furniture on a seven-tiered platform. These dolls promote values like calmness and dignity. The festival includes a purification ritual, especially at the Awashima Shrine, where people believe that illness and misfortune can be transferred to the dolls, which are then floated out to sea in boats—a ceremony called Nagashi-Bina. Special foods like sakura mochi (pink rice cakes wrapped in cherry blossom leaves) are offered to the dolls and then to guests.

हिन्दी में सारांश :

हिना मत्सुरी जापान में 3 मार्च को मनाया जाने वाला एक त्यौहार है जो लड़कियों को समर्पित होता है। इस दिन हर जापानी लड़की के पास खास पारंपरिक गुड़ियों का एक सेट होता है, जिन्हें सात सीढ़ियों वाले मंच पर सजाया जाता है। ये गुड़ियाँ सम्राट, सम्राज्ञी, दरबारी और महल के फर्नीचर का प्रतीक होती हैं और शांति तथा गरिमा जैसे गुणों को दर्शाती हैं। ओसाका के अवाशिमा मंदिर में शुद्धीकरण की एक रस्म होती है जहाँ लोग मानते हैं कि बीमारी और दुर्भाग्य गुड़ियों में स्थानांतरित होकर समुद्र में बहा दिए जाते हैं। इस प्रक्रिया को नागाशी-बिना कहते हैं। इस दिन खास मिठाई सकुरा मोची (चेरी के पत्तों में लिपटे गुलाबी चावल के केक) बनाई जाती है।

Word Meanings Table (English–Hindi Vocabulary)

MCQs (Multiple Choice Questions)

1. When is Hina Matsuri celebrated in Japan?
   a) 1st March
   b) 3rd March ✅
   c) 5th March
   d) 8th March
2. What is the main purpose of the dolls in Hina Matsuri?
   a) For play
   b) To show wealth
   c) To represent values like calmness and dignity ✅
   d) To scare evil spirits
3. What is the ceremony of casting dolls into water called?
   a) Sakura Mochi
   b) Nagashi-Bina ✅
   c) Shinto
   d) Kimono Parade
4. What traditional food is offered during Hina Matsuri?
   a) Sushi
   b) Tempura
   c) Sakura Mochi ✅
   d) Ramen
5. Where does the Nagashi-Bina ceremony take place?
   a) Tokyo Tower
   b) Awashima Shrine ✅
   c) Mount Fuji
   d) Kyoto Palace

Short Questions and Answers

1. Q: What is Hina Matsuri?
   A: Hina Matsuri is a Japanese festival celebrated on 3rd March, dedicated to girls.
2. Q: What do the dolls in Hina Matsuri represent?
   A: The dolls represent the Emperor, Empress, palace staff, and traditional Japanese values like calmness and dignity.
3. Q: What is the purpose of the purification ceremony?
   A: To transfer bad luck or illness into the dolls, which are then floated away to sea in boats.
4. Q: What is ‘Nagashi-Bina’?
   A: It is the ritual of casting dolls into the sea to take away misfortune, performed during Hina Matsuri.
5. Q: What special food is made during Hina Matsuri?
   A: Sakura Mochi – pink rice cakes wrapped in cherry blossom leaves.
6. Q: How is the doll display arranged at Sayo’s house?
   A: A seven-tiered platform is set up; the top has the Emperor and Empress, followed by palace staff and furniture.

A.2: Various beliefs are associated with the festival of Hina Matsuri. On the basis of your reading of the above entry, complete the chart given below.

A.3: Fill in the blanks with one word/phrase each.

(a) Traditional food for Hina Matsuri – Sakura Mochi
(b) Number of silk layers in the ceremonial robe of the Empress doll – 12
(c) Venue for the purification ceremony – Awashima Shrine
(d) The month in which Hina Matsuri takes place – March
(e) The doll-casting ceremony – Nagashi-Bina
(f) Qualities that the dolls represent – Calmness and Dignity

A.4: Values

Festivals bring us joy and happiness. We all like to celebrate together. But in our society, there are many underprivileged children, who cannot partake in festivities. Enlist a few things you can do for such children so that they can also experience the joy of celebration.

Here are a few ways to include underprivileged children in celebrations:

• Distribute sweets, snacks, or toys during festivals.
• Organize fun events or games in schools or shelters.
• Donate clothes or essentials as festival gifts.
• Invite them to community celebrations or school functions.
• Share stories or traditions with them to make them feel included.

A.5: Complete the puzzle with the antonyms of the words given below. You can find the antonyms in the encyclopaedia entry—Hina Matsuri.

Across

1. Bottom (Antonym of “top”)
2. Traditional (Antonym of “modern”)
3. Below (Antonym of “above”)

Down

1. Beautiful (Antonym of “ugly”)
2. Elaborate (Antonym of “simple/plain”)
3. Below (Also fits here)

A.6: When we think about festivals and celebrations, many words come into our head. A list of few words is given below. Use a dictionary to find their meanings and write them in the space provided.

(a) Festivity – A celebration or joyful event.
(b) Carnival – A public festival with music, processions, and dancing.
(c) Gaiety – The state of being cheerful and lively.
(d) Frolic – Play or movement in a lively and fun way.
(e) Ritual – A religious or solemn ceremony involving a series of actions.

A.7: Summarising a text means providing appropriate words for long sentences. A useful summary technique is to replace a group of words with one word.

Match each phrase with a word from the box given below. Write the word in front of the phrase.

A.8 – Listen to the tape script on Kodomono-hi carefully and tick (✔) the correct option(s).

1. Kodomono-hi is a festival celebrated by the—
   (a) Japanese girls.

(b)   Japanese boys.

(c) Japanese people.

✅ (b) Japanese boys

2. Kodomono-hi is celebrated on the—
   (a) sixth day of May.

(b) fifth day of May.

(c) fifth day of March.

✅ (b) fifth day of May

3. Kodomono-hi is celebrated to demonstrate such qualities as—

(a) strength

(b) determination

(c) patience
✅ (a) strength
✅ (b) determination

4. The Japanese boys bathe with iris leaves to—
   (a) make themselves beautiful.

(b) protect themselves from illness.

(c)   make themselves strong.

✅ (b) protect themselves from illness
✅ (c) make themselves strong

5. Kazu finds wearing kimono somewhat uncomfortable because—
   (a) it is a traditional dress.

(b)   it is too long.

(c)   it is tight around the chest.

✅ (c) it is tight around the chest

6. A carp is a—
   (a) fish.

(b) bird.

(c) kite.

✅ (a) fish

7. The carp kites inspire the young Japanese boys to—
   (a) overcome obstacles.

(b)   be successful.

(c)   fly more carp kites.

✅ (a) overcome obstacles
✅ (b) be successful

A.9 – Celebrating Family History

(b)   be successful.

At a family gathering, such as a holiday celebration, a birthday party or a family visit, telling stories about the family history can be fun.

Celebrate the family history week in your classroom. Each student tracks their family history and weaves it in the form

of a tale.

Objective:
To explore and share family stories as part of celebrating your heritage.

Sample Interview Questions (to ask elders)

1. Places to Remember

• What was your childhood home like?
• Was there a favorite place you loved to visit as a child?

2. People to Remember

• How many siblings did you have?
• Did anyone in the family have a funny or unique personality?

3. Life Events

• When did you first go to school? What happened that day?
• Do you remember any fun birthday or wedding celebration?

4. Miscellaneous

• Can you describe a special family photograph?
• Do we have any special family recipe? Who made it first?

Storytelling Preparation Steps

1. Interview an elder and collect family memories.
2. Write down the story as a tale with characters and events.
3. Practice at home and time your presentation (2–3 minutes).
4. Dress up, if you like, as your grandfather or any character.
5. Use a catchy opening like:
   “Do you know my grandfather once rode a buffalo to school?”
6. Speak clearly, make eye contact, and thank the audience at the end.