Girls Day Celebration for a 3 yr. old - tea party style  Some of you may know that March 3 is a Japanese  holiday known as 'Girls Day' or 'Festival of the Dolls'.   Traditionally it would be celebrated by having a sort of  tea party with friends. Types of sushi and rice cakes and sweet saki would be served. Dress would be in  your ceremonial kimono and you would bring your best doll to display. (originally, the dolls were thrown into the river to take the bad luck away with them, but as time went on and the dolls became more costly and valuable, the tradition changed to keeping and displaying them.)  Well, my mother in law is Japanese and I wanted to  try and incorporate some of my children's heritage into their lives. Besides, what little girl wouldn't like a day just for them? But how to do it when you don't  have kimonos or know how to make Japanese food? (my little girl won't eat it anyway) I decided to mark the  occasion in a more American way - with a tea party! I came to this site for ideas as I had never done a tea party before. This was a young group of girls, so I had  to try and keep things simple, yet fun.  I sent out little invitations with a teapot on them and white scalloped paper along the edge for that lacey  effect.  It said 'Come Celebrate Girls Day at a Tea  Party! It was to be GIRLS ONLY, which was a big hit  with the 5 little girls who came to the big event. My  husband and son even had to make themselves scarce.  First we made straw hats to wear. I bought the hats  and some silk flowers, which were very inexpensive. Another mom donated some ribbon and gauzy fabric to tie the hats on. We transformed them into fancy hats with the adult help of a hot glue gun. I had asked  the moms to bring dress up items for the day. And,  the girls had so much fun picking out and putting on such things as frilly skirts, beads, feather boas, fancy shoes, lacy or long gloves. Next, it was makeup time  and nail polish. They felt so grownup! Topped with their new hats, we made them parade around and pose together and individually so that all of us moms  could take photos of our adorable girls!  Finally, we got to the tea party part of the celebration. I  had the table set for the little girls with my daughter's tea set. I had two sets of real cream , lemon wedges, and sugar cubes on either side of a vase of flowers  for the centerpiece. The blue cloth tablecloth was  dressy enough and set off the floral pattern on the  little tea set. I also had real china set out for the moms, but on a side table. I served little cookies - the  assorted kind, like Pepperidge Farm makes - some mini cupcakes with a blue candy flower on them, peanut butter sandwiches cut out in flower and  butterfly shapes for the girls, as well as egg salad  versions for the moms. The girls all tried the tea, but  for drinking, preferred the apple juice. In fact, a couple little girls, one of them mine, opened the tea bags  and dumped the contents into their cup. Needless to say, they didn't like it! I guess we need some practice. I kept costs down by using what I had and borrowing  from others. It really was inexpensive and so much  fun! I think the 'big girls' had more fun than the ones we were doing it for! I have been told that we have to  make sure and do it again next year. Remember, March 3 is Girls Day. And, in case you were wondering, May 5 is Boys Day. I will be writing  about that one later...