Source: An English Introduction To Japan and Its People, published by ALC --> a very good book for those interested in Japan and Japanese culture"Shichi (7) Go (5) San (3) literally means seven five three. When children read these ages, they are taken by parents or grandparents to a Shinto shrine in the neighborhood on November 15th to celebrate their growth." In our case, to avoid crowd in the shrine during those period, we chose to celebrate it earlier, November 1st, yes ... today!
"Originally, this was a custom done by many families of warriors and aristocrats but since the Edo period ordinary families started practicing it as well. Girls who have reached the ages of three and seven and boys who are three and five are dressed in traditional kimonos; long-sleeved (called furisode) for girls and haori and hakama with a model sword for boys."
