Tanabata - Star Festival

This was what one of my students, Tomoki, wished for, for Tanabata. Before he got one of the Japanese teachers to translate what he wanted to say, he had drawn a similar picture on the board, but with a mole on the character's face, a fat body, and sticks for arms and legs.

Tomoki had also tried to get Kanta, a male classmate, to act out what he wanted to say. No wonder Kanta kept saying no and trying to run away. With Tomoki pulling his arm and Kanta trying to get away, I thought his arm was going to break off.

Tanabata, I'm told, is the holiday that celebrates the one day a year that Orihime (Weaving Princess, a heavenly being) and Hikoboshi (Cow Herder Star, a name which my pre-schoolers yesterday found hilarious), a mortal, could meet after having been forcibly separated by her father.

To celebrate, people write wishes on colorful pieces of paper and tie them to a bamboo tree or, in urban areas, some other tree (or "tree") of what looks like dried tree branches with long, feathery leaves. The trees are set up at public places like train stations, department stores, and English conversation schools like the one where I teach.

This holiday actually comes from Chinese culture, where it's called QiXi Jie (or Qing Ren Jie or, Lovers' Day) and celebrated according to the lunar calendar. Somehow, I remember food, like bah-tsang (or jungzi) being involved. But that have been another holiday.

In any case, Tanabata is celebrates on the seventh day of the seventh month, and since the Japanese use the Gregorian calendar for many holidays, it was on July 7th. Chinese and other people who use the lunar calendar for holidays will celebrate it this year on August 6th.