March 3rd, Hinamatsuri, is the peach festival.
March 3rd was designated as the Peach Festival, based on a Chinese legend that says that drinking peach blossoms floating in a cup on March 3rd will ward off evil spirits.
When you think of peaches, the first thing that comes to mind is the fruit peach, but the peach blossoms that are displayed during the Doll's Festival are ``Hana peach'' flowers, which are used for ornamental purposes, and are a different variety from the edible peaches.
Outdoor peaches bloom a little later, with gorgeous red, white, and pink flowers blooming from mid-March to May.
This is the birth flower for March 3rd.