七五三(Shichi-Go-San) is a traditional festival day held on November 15 in Japan for both three and seven year-old girls and three and five year-old boys. On this day, we celebrate their growth and to pray for their future good health.
This festival is said to have originated among court nobles and the samurai class. In Japanese numerology, odd numbers are lucky, thus the importantance of the ages three, five, and seven. Furthermore, in ancient times, children had a low survival rate, and often did not survive even to age three. People considered children up to seven years old as given to them as a charge from the gods.
Traditionally, children under three years were required to shave their hair, but after reaching this age were allowed to grow their hair out. Boys aged five could wear Hakama for the first time, while girls aged seven years could wear make up.
Nowadays, seven, five, or three year-old children are dressed in kimono and taken to a shrine. At the shrine, they participate in a traditional Shinto ritual for purification. After the ritual, they get Chitose-ame: a long, red and white-striped candy stick. The candy symbolizes healthy growth and happiness. However the more modern practice is to take pictures of the children and some children now wear western-style formal dress for the Shichi-Go-San festival. Now Shichi-Go-San is a festival for parents to praise themselves on how good a job they did in bringing up their lovely children.
Here is anime about Shichi-Go-San (from High School Kimengumi ) Enjoy!