Tanabata
Tanabata (七夕) is the
Japanese name for the originally
Chinese star festival (see
Qi Qiao Jie). Held on
July 7 the festival celebrates the meeting of Orihime (
Vega) and Hikoboshi (
Altair).
The Milky Way, a river made from stars that crosses the sky, separated these two lovers, and they were allowed to meet only once a year. This special day is the 7th of July.
People in Japan celebrate this day by wearing yukata and decorating the bamboo leaves. They write their wishes on the tanzaku and hang them on the leaves. It is said that the Orihime and Hikoboshi would make their dreams come true. Having been decorated, the bamboo tree is thrown into a river.