７月 shichi-gatsu /７日 nanoka

Tanabata

STORYTIME!
Once upon a time....

There was a princess named Orihime. She was a weaver who made beautiful pieces of cloth by the heavenly river, also known as the Milky Way. Because Orihime spent most of her time weaving, she became very sad and felt that she would never find love. Her father, who was God of the Heavens, introduced Orihime to a good young man who lived just across the Milky Way. His name was Hikoboshi, a cow herder. The two fell in love instantly. But their love for each other was so deep that they neglected their duties. The God of the Heavens became very angry and forbade the two lovers to be together. But he he arranged that they could meet up once a year if Orihime returned to her weaving. This day became the 7th day of the 7th month. Every year they cross over on a bridge over the Milky Way It is said that when it rains on Tanabata, the magpies do not come to build the bridge and the lovers have to wait another year.

So on this day, ladies dress up beautifully wearing yukatas and men wearing kimonos. There are also many food stores and fun games that you can play. There are also many cultural dances and show cases that happen. Unfortunatley I wasnt able to watch any. My family wanted to take me to a restraunt dar from where we were sooooo of course I was going to chose food. My favourite part was writing a paper wish.

Why Paper Wishes?

When Tanabata first arrived in Japan from China in the Heian period (794 – 1185), aristocrats in the imperial court would write poetry while gazing at the stars to celebrate the lovers. It wasn’t until the Edo period (1603–1868) that Tanabata was celebrated by all the people of Japan. It was during this period that the tradition of writing wishes on tanzaku, brightly colored pieces of paper, and hanging them from branches of bamboo became part of the celebration. So people started using a tall and straight bamboo to hang the strips of paper with their wishes, hoping that their hopes and dreams would be sent to the heavens.


😁Arigatou & Meitaki Ma'ata😁
😊Thank You😊
​Memory