Tanabata: Japanese Star Festival

In Japan, there's this star festival that the whole Japan would celebrated once a year called Tanabata. During this festival, you could see bamboo tree everywhere in Japan. And on its branches, you could see pieces of colorful papers, hanging on them freely. If you see it clearer, you will realize that those pieces of colorful papers are people's wishes. Yes, they hanging their wishes on bamboo during Tanabata Festival. So, what's this all about, actually?


So, behind this Tanabata Festival, there's one Japanese folk story that I really like that started it all. Long time ago, they believed that there was this God of Sky's daughter called Orihime who loved sewing and making new clothes. The Tenkou (God of Sky) worried his daughter worked too hard and will never make time to find love, so he introduced her to a guy who was his job to take care of cows and also a workaholic named Hikoboshi.


They met, and fell in love with each other. But, they were madly in love that they did not care with their works anymore, so the God of Sky got mad at them, so they separate them from each other and taking Orihime to the other side of Amanogawa or Milky Way. Orihime and Hikoboshi really sad for not being able to meet each other anymore and made the God of Sky felt sorry for them so they let them meet only once a year.


And it's only on July 7th. On the Tanabata day, people make wish that the sky will clear all day long so Orihime and Hikoboshi could meet up on the Milky Way. If it's rained, it means the two lover could not meet each other because the water level of the Amanogawa (Milky Way) is too high and they should wait for another year to meet. Somehow it's kind of sad story, a couple that only can meet once a year, isn't it?


I remember the first time I had my Tanabata Festival when I visited Japan for the first time in 2009. It's so interesting to see how people write their own wish in a piece of paper and hanging it on the bamboo. So, I decided to make a try. I wished for being able to come back to Japan someday, and I really did.


This year, I made a wish but not sure if it will granted or not. Well, at least I wrote something lol.


So, it's almost the end of semester and I am having my exam week right now. And also, I am so busy with finding new apartment to live from next semester. Cannot believe that I will move out from AP House in less of two weeks. Well, I've been living here for two years and lots of things happened here. 

And I'm sure I'll miss this place.