When East Meets West: Tanabata, or Star Festival
Sunday, July 05, 2009
Commentary by Hank F. Miller Jr.
Tanabata Star festival is celebrated on July 7.According to the tale of Tanabata, once upon a time, there was a princess named Orihime (Weaving Princess).She was the daughter of Tenkou (Sky King) and wove beautiful cloth along the banks of the Amanogawa (River of Heaven: The Milky Way) As her father loved her cloth, she worked hard every day weaving. But she was unhappy because her work prevented her from meeting anybody and falling in love. Tenkou, who felt sorry for his daughter, arranged for her to meet Hikoboshi (Cow Herder Star), upon meeting the two fell in love instantly and got married shortly after.
But open marriage, Orihime stopped weaving cloth for Tenkou while Hikoboshi allowed his cows to stray all over the heavens. Distressed by the misconduct of the two, Tenkou separated Orihime and Hikoboshi, placing the Amanogawa River between them.
Brokenhearted by the separation, Orihime begged her father to let her meet Hikoboshi again.Tenkou, who saw his daughter's tears, eventually gave in and agreed to let the two meet on the seventh day of the seventh month, under the condition that Orihime worked hard and finished her weaving.
But the first time they tried to meet they found that they could not cross the river because there was no bridge. A flock of magpies sympathized with Orihime, who cried her heart out because she could not meet Hikoboshi. The birds promised to build a bridge with their wings so that she could across the river the next time. But if it rained, the magpies would not be able to come and the two lovers would have to miss the chance once again of meeting each other.
Tanabata customs and dates today, people in Japan celebrate Tanabata by writing wishes, sometimes in the form of poetry, on small pieces of paper. These strips of paper are hung on tall bamboo tree limbs that usually bear other decorations also. In some regions, these bamboo and decorations are set afloat on a river or burned after the festival ends at around midnight or on the next day. This is similar to the custom of floating paper ships and candles on rivers during Obon season in August.
The original date of the Tanabata Festival was based on the Japanese lunisolar calendar, which is roughly one month behind the Gregorian calendar. This way some festivals are held July 7 and others are held around August 7.In other areas the seventh day of the seventh lunar month of the traditional Japanese Lunisolar calendar, which usually falls in August of the Gregorian calendar.
Warm Regards from wet-wet-wet Kitakyushu City, Japan presently we're experiencing monsoon season here in our area.
Hank F. Miller Jr.
The author is a former resident of Gloucester City NJ who now lives in Kitakyushu City, Japan.
http://www.gloucestercitynews.net/clearysnotebook/when_east_meets_west/