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There had been so much work and preparation that the family could hardly believe the special day had finally arrived. Today Mieko, oldest of the three daughters, would be married.

Little eight-year-old Tamiko, eyes dancing with excitement, ran to show her father the gorgeous silk kimono that she’d be wearing at the ceremony. Good luck symbols in the form of white plum blossoms had been gracefully embroidered on the bright pink fabric. After properly complimenting the beauty of her kimono, father sent his youngest daughter off to get ready for the big day. It would take hours for all of them to put their kimonos on and have their sashes properly tied.

When Tamiko burst into her big sister’s room she found her two sisters, her mother, and Nobuko, the lady who mother had hired to help them all dress. Putting on a kimono is a complicated process that cannot be accomplished alone. There are no buttons or zippers and the kimono is held together by a very long brocade sash, or obi.

The obi is 12 inches wide and over 12 feet long. It is tied in a beautiful bow at the back of the kimono. Much skill and patience are required to wrap and tie the obi. Tamiko had seen Nobuko spend half an hour carefully tying elaborate butterfly and rose shaped bows on her cousins’ kimonos.

Mother had chosen each kimono to properly reflect the family’s status, the age of the wearer, the season, and the joy of the occasion. By tradition, young unmarried girls such as Tamiko and her sister Tazuko, wear colorful kimonos with flowing sleeves that hang almost to the ankles. The obi is wrapped around their waist and a little higher so that it covers their ribs.

As a woman matures, her kimono patterns become smaller and the colors deeper and richer. The obi is narrower and is worn lower. And like the girls’ mother, married women wear short sleeved kimonos that are only decorated on the bottom half. Because it is spring, all the women, except the bride, will wear kimonos in shades of red and pink decorated with floral designs.

While the women of the family dress, the girls’ father also prepares for the special day. First he puts on a knee length kimono of gray silk and ties the narrow obi into a simple knot. Then, he pulls on a pair of pleated trousers that look like a skirt. These are known as hakama. The hakama has seven pleats, each representing one of the seven virtues of bushido, the ancient Japanese code of honor.

Both men and women wear wooden sandals and tabi. These mitten-like socks divide the big toe from the rest of the toes. Men wear black tabi and women wear white.

After diligently practicing how to walk in the wooden sandals without klip-klopping, Tamiko and Tazuko had stood patiently still while Nobuko tied their obis into intricate bows. They were practically worn out from excitement by the time the wedding ceremony finally began. But their eyes widened in appreciation when they saw Mieko enter in her pure white, silk kimono and obi. In Japan, white is the symbol for setting out on a journey and for purity.

The two girls and all the wedding guests continued to be dazzled by Mieko as the day wore on. At the reception, in keeping with tradition, Mieko donned a brilliant red gown known as an uchikake over her wedding kimono. In Japan, the red and white combination conveys happiness and joy. And as tradition also demanded, Mieko changed her costume many times during the celebrations. Each kimono was more exquisite than the next.

Tamiko was determined to savor every moment of the day and to commit every detail to memory. Tomorrow when they would all be back in their regular, everyday clothes, she would be able to touch the magic again, simply by remembering.