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To a visitor
from abroad it soon becomes obvious that a Japan without summer festivals would
be like Holland without tulips. Festivals are an inseparable part of the national
experience, and not to be missed.
One of the oldest and most widely respected festivals is Tanabata. It
is so old, that Japanese cannot pin down the exact origin of its name, but all
agree the festival is based on a very old Chinese tale of star-crossed lovers.
A princess named Orihime lived beside the River of Heaven (the Milky Way) and
wove cloth for her father, the king of the heavens, Tentei. Moved by his daughter’s
loneliness, Tentei arranged for her to meet a cowherd named Hikoboshi. The two
fell in love and wed, but soon neglected their work. An angry Tentei banished
the lovers to opposite sides of the river. Once a year, they may come together
across a bridge of magpies for one night. Legend says that if it rains, the birds
cannot fly and the lovers must remain apart for another year.
To mark this night, on July 7 (or sometimes on August 7), the Japanese will stick
a freshly cut bamboo frond in their garden and decorate it with colorful streamers
and other decorations—almost like a summer Christmas tree. Then they hang
strips of paper containing their wishes on the bamboo’s feathery branches.
Later, the bamboo and its decorations are burned or set afloat on a river to carry
the wishes to the two most famous stars in Japan. |
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