“ Tanabata festival (七夕) / The Star Festival”

Hi, how are you? We feel it is getting more humid and so hot in NY.

Matcha Milk Juice with Family Today’s blog is about Tanabata festival. Tanabata is a Japanese Festival celebrated on July 7th, also Known as the star festival. We decorate a few stripe of colorful papers called Tanzaku, Written their wish by hanging with strings on bamboo branches.(When we write a wish to the stripe of paper and Displayed it, it is said that wish comes true. because we are expecting God would give our wish comes true. (Wishing to the star) This Tanabata originated from the Chinese legend (China myth).The story is about a weaver princess named Orihime(Vega) and a cattle herder named Hikoboshi (Altair) who are separated by the Milky Way. The story is like this. A daughter of the heaven God had lived in west of Milky Way River. Her name is Orihime (Vega) .She could make special various colored Kimono well by weaver. Her special kimono cloth was so soft and so light weight like cloud.The cloth is made five beautiful colors and with shinning.The Heaven God had proud of her.She was making clothes for Heaven’s people.Otherwise a young man of cattle herder had lived in east of Milky Way river. His name is Hikoboshi (Altair). He was taking care for Cattle well like he bringing water from Milky Way’s river for cattle and He gave cattle to food (grasses) a lot.His cattle was good health and fertile. He was very hard worker. Orihime is hard worker too. She didn’t care herself like hair styling and so on because she was so busy to make clothes for heaven’s people. The Heaven God worried about her. and He searched and found Hikoboshi(another name is called Ken-giyuu) as his daughter’s partner. The Heaven God set their dating. They became to like each other.and They loved and married. After they married, they were totally lovesick and completely forgot all about their duties.they stopped working. That’s why people couldn’t get clothes Orihime made from Heaven. And Hikoboshi’s cattle couldn’t get water and grasses enough. so The castles became thin and the disease was spread. The Heaven God asked to them to work.But they answered to him “We work since tomorrow.” But It was their excuse. they didn’t restart their duties.Finally,The Heaven God was so angry. he decided to punish them. he separated the two of them in Milky way (Milky Way river blocked to see each other.) Orihime continued to weep all day and Hikoboshi was depressed a lot. The working situation was more worse.So The Heaven God felt guilty.He finally changed his mind and gave them permission to see each other once a year.

So They could meet once a year. The day is July 7th. And Orihime restarted weaver work. She did more good job. People could get special cloths again from Heaven. Hikoboshi also restarted to take care cattle and cultivating the field.He did more hard work. So Their cattle became healthy And he got harvests a lot from land. However, If it was rain the day, the river would flood and They can’t meet. That’s why people pray to be good weather the day, and If The day would be fine day, they believe their wish would come true.(When they write a wish to the stripe of paper and display it, it is said that wish comes true.) Actually, July is raining season in Asia. So July 7 is almost raining every year. It is rare to be fine day. I had thought God continue to give punishment. The Heaven God doesn’t allow them. However, In another story case, Even It became raining and Flood, they could meet using the bridge on the Milky Way which was built by a magpie(Pica pica Japonica) which came flying from unknown place.

Matcha Butter Cake with Family Thank you very much for reading and taking your precious time with us. See you again on our next blog.