May Festival Dolls are dolls used to celebrate Boys' Day. The tradition of Boys' Day originated in the Nara period (710 CE - 794 CE). By the Edo period (1603 CE - 1868 CE), May 5th had become a holiday and was established as Tango-no-Sekku. During this period, the festival became widely celebrated among the common people of Edo, and dolls began to be used as decorations.
The placement of these dolls signifies the family's collective celebration of a boy's birth, embodying hopes for the child to avoid illnesses, accidents, and other misfortunes, and to grow up strong and healthy. Armors and helmets are displayed as talismans for bodily protection, expressing wishes for their safety, health, and robust growth.