May 5 is Children’s Day (kodomo-no-hi) (子供の日) in Japan, an important national holiday. The holiday has roots going back well over a thousand years. It celebrates boys as a counterpart to Girl’s Day in March. The name was changed to Children’s Day after WW II, though its practices are still mostly patterned after Boy’s Day traditions. Feudal military helmets are displayed in homes. Besides the helmets, sometimes martial dolls are displayed, too, representing warriors or famous generals. Outside, tall poles are erected with a small windmill (kazaguruma) (風車) and streamers (fukinagashi) (吹流し) at the top, symbolizing the sound and sight of waterfalls. Hung below the top are koi (carp) streamers. The largest and highest is black for the father followed by a red one for the mother. Below that are blue banners, one for each male child from the oldest to the youngest in descending order. The connection between the carp and the windmill and streamers at the top is that carp need to be strong to fight their way upstream over cascades and waterfalls. The holiday is often celebrated with special foods and sometimes soaking in hot tubs steeped with iris leaves.