Every year on the 7th day of the 7th month of the year, it is Japanese Tanabata Star Festival. This Festival originated from the Chinese Qixi Festival. It celebrates the reunion of the Weaver Girl “Orihime” and the Cowherd “Hikoboshi”. According to legend, the weaver girl(Vega) & the cowherd(Altair), these lovers are separated by the Milky Way and are allowed to meet only once a year on the 7th day of the 7th lunar month of the Chinese lunisolar calendar. In Modern Japan, the date of Star Festivals varies(between July & Aug) by region, because from Jan 1st 1873, Japan adopted the Gregorian calendar, then different areas have different correspondences.
This festival was introduced to Japan during the Nara Period (710-784).
It was first celebrated by imperial court aristocrats, as this festival is also known as “The Festival to Plead for Skills”, so they would hold poetry contests, play music, and gaze up at stars to make wishes. During the Nara Period, paper was a valuable item, so instead of paper, people would write wishes on leaves of paper mulberry. Also, they would collect the night dew on the leaves of taro to mix with ink, as the night dew symbolizing “the drop of the Milky Way”.
People would pray to the Weaver Girl (the star Vega) for success in the arts of weaving, sewing, writing etc.
The festival became popular across Japan by the Edo period (1603-1868). During the Edo period, the general public also could afford to buy the paper, so instead of writing on leaves, the custom shifted to Tanzaku, the thin & long strips of paper. Tanzaku come in 5 colors: red, blue, yellow, white and black. These colors are based on the five elements of ancient China. But later the black color is replaced by purple color as purple color is regarded as noble color in Japan. During the Nara Period, purple was the color which was only allowed to be used by the high-level officials & Imperial Family. The colorful paper strip will be hung on the bamboo branches. Bamboo is straight and tall, it is believed that with its upward stretching branches, it helps to deliver wishes to heaven.
My biggest wish is…I wish for world peace and hope everyone is healthy.
What is your wish/dream this year?
The traditional food of the star festival is Somen. These long, thin noodles represent the Milky Way as well as the threads weaved by Weaver Girl. They are served with a light noodle sauce. As it is Star Festival, I decorated by the star-shaped bell flowers. And I also prepared the Okura. Normally the Okura is star-shaped also, but these Okura from my own garden, they gave me the surprise by changing into the flower-shaped this year.
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