Tanabata

In Japan, July 7 is called Tanabata, the day when Orihime and Hikoboshi meet in the Milky Way only once a year. (*Tanabata is also celebrated on August 7 in some places such as Sendai and Hokkaido.)

 

On Tanabata, there is a custom of writing wishes on tanzaku strips and decorating them on bamboo branches.

It is said that this custom started when people in the olden days made a wish for the weaver princess, who was good at weaving, so that she would improve her skills.

The Tanabata decorations displayed on the bamboo branches with tanzaku strips have various meanings, such as "for a bountiful catch," "to accumulate money," "to live a long life," etc. The "blowing streamer" is one of the most popular decorations.

Among them, the blowing streamers are said to represent the weaving threads of the weaver, and are said to mean "May your weaving be successful" and to ward off evil spirits.

 The Tanabata Festival has this tale to tell.

 Orihime was entrusted with the task of weaving garments for the gods. Orihime's cloth was so beautiful that it shone in five different colors and changed its color according to the season.

Orihime was a serious weaver and worked hard day and night, but she was so dedicated that she did not care about her own appearance and did not go out to play. Her father, the Emperor of Heaven, felt sorry for her, and wishing for her happiness, he started to look for a good companion for her.

He found Hikoboshi, a cow herder by trade. The emperor, thinking that this diligent young man would surely make his daughter happy, brings the two together. They immediately fall in love and become husband and wife.

Hikoboshi moves to the west side of the Milky Way, where Orihime used to live, and they begin to live in harmony.

Orihime and Hikoboshi get married and become even more attracted to each other. However, Orihime and Hikoboshi became so busy having fun that they gradually neglected their work.

Because Orihime neglected weaving, new clothes were not made and the gods' kimonos fell into disrepair. Hikoboshi also neglected to take care of his cows, which grew thin and eventually fell ill.

The emperor, enraged by this depravity, separates Orihime and Hikoboshi to the east and west across the Milky Way. Orihime and Hikoboshi could no longer even see each other.

Orihime is so lonely that she cries and lives in tears. She is so sad that she cannot even weave a loom. The Emperor takes pity on her and allows her to meet Hikoboshi only once a year, as long as she works diligently as before. That is Tanabata, the Star Festival on July 7.

Orihime and Hikoboshi changed their minds and began to work harder than before they met, looking forward to Tanabata.

Orihime and Hikoboshi in this story are said to be the story of Vega and Altair shining across the Milky Way. People in the past used to look up at the sea of stars and read several stories.

If you would like to join us in watching the once-a-year reunion of Orihime and Hikoboshi on July 7.