Unique traditions, cultural differences and charming, fantasy-filled tales like the one below is what I enjoy most about traveling and about the opportunity to live internationally.Here is the love story of Orihime & Hikoboshi...Enjoy!
One of the major summer festivals in Japan is the Tanabata Festival or the Star Festival. This festival originated from the sad, sweet tale that stems from Chinese folklore about two stars, Vega and Altair, also known as the weaver girl, Orihime, who was the daughter of the Emperor of the Galaxy, and the cowherder, Hikoboshi, who fell in love but neglected their respected duties of weaving cloth and cowherding, thus drawing the wrath of the Emperor of the Galaxy upon them. Separated by the Milky Way, or Amanogawa, and forbidden to see her lover, the weaver girl wept, and the tears moved her father to allow the lovers to meet once a year, on the seventh day of the seventh month, but only if it doesn't rain.
In Japan festivities take place usually in early July or August, as August 7th is around the 7th day of the 7th month in the lunar calendar. These festivals, call matsuri, are exceedingly popular with locals and tourists. There are always plenty of food and beverage stalls available with music
and lots of entertainment which varies locally from spot to spot. Many local vendors put up elaborate decorations that try to outdoor the decorations of their neighbors.
Common elements in the Tanabata festivals include the display of a large, or several large poles of bamboo, with many small branches called sasatake. This is sometimes called a "wish tree," and people write wishes on colored strips of paper and tie them to the branches in hopes they will come true. Other colorful paper decorations are hung representing things like long life, good health, success in business, in one's studies or skills, and so on.
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