The Japanese Star Festival
Monday, July 21, 2008
When it comes to July, everyone in Japan are celebrating what they call as Tanabata. As the word means "Evening of the Seventh", the celebration derived from the similar Chinese tradition, Qi Xi which means "The Nights of the Sevens".
The Japanese believe that once a year on the seventh day of the seventh lunar month of the lunisolar calendar, the Orihine (Vega) and Hikoboshi (Altair) is having reunion as they separated by the Milky Way. A river made of stars across the sky. Since the stars come out at night, everyone then celebrates it at night.
Everyone is writing wishes, sometimes in the form of poetry on tanzaku on a piece of paper. Then they hang it on a bamboo with decorations, or float them on a river. In other occasion, the wishes are burned after the festival on midnight or the next day. This resembles the custom of floating paper ships and candles on rivers during Obon. Many areas in Japan have their own Tanabata customs, which are mostly related to local Obon traditions.
The Japanese believe that once a year on the seventh day of the seventh lunar month of the lunisolar calendar, the Orihine (Vega) and Hikoboshi (Altair) is having reunion as they separated by the Milky Way. A river made of stars across the sky. Since the stars come out at night, everyone then celebrates it at night.
Everyone is writing wishes, sometimes in the form of poetry on tanzaku on a piece of paper. Then they hang it on a bamboo with decorations, or float them on a river. In other occasion, the wishes are burned after the festival on midnight or the next day. This resembles the custom of floating paper ships and candles on rivers during Obon. Many areas in Japan have their own Tanabata customs, which are mostly related to local Obon traditions.
Labels: japan
posted by Daniy @ 12:12 AM,
