Tanabata is one of the most famous festivals in Japan, which is also known as “The Festival of the stars“. This celebration in reality part of a captivating legend that has created a whole composition of rituals and traditions. It is a story from which Japanese homes and streets are orlan's of colored paper once a year, always coincide with the seventh day of the seventh month of the lunar calendar.
The Tanabata legend
Legend has it that thousands of years ago, the daughter of the heavenly King Tentei, known as Orihime, name which would mean Weaver Princess, had an amazing talent for weaving, and developed his talent on the banks of the Amanogawa River, It is as it was known in antiquity to our Milky way. King Tentei was delighted with fabrics making his beautiful daughter, and she was pleased to every day of your life, something that prevented him from knowing someone who fall in love, which grieved her deeply.
Tentei, to see the sadness of his dear daughter, He decided to plan a meeting between her and a pastor who was on the other side of the Amanogawa River, Hikoboshi to improve the mood of the Princess. When both were found, love arose immediately between the two that were left charmed each other. Not long after they married and formed a very happy marriage.
They were so happy together that engaged every day to have fun and now not working. Garments of heaven began to be old and worn; cows and Hikoboshi Orchard began to deteriorate. The God of heaven Tentei got angry and separated them instructing Orihime Hikoboshi and the west shore of the River to the East, thinking that they would return to work if it separated them. But it did not. Orihime cried of sadness and remained non-woven; like Hikoboshi who locked himself in his house without attending to their work.
Shocked to see the tears of her daughter by not being able to see her beloved decided to do something about it. He promised that he would see her lover, but only once each year, the seventh day of the seventh month, only if she had fulfilled their tasks. Very happy, the Princess accept immediately and were working carefully to see her beloved that year. But the destination is sometimes cruel and get the seventh day of the seventh month given account which could not approach her beloved, as there was no bridge crossing the Amanogawa River. Both lovers were sad on the banks of the river, and the Princess began to cry heartbroken by her unhappiness. The Princess wept so much in that moment, a flock of magpies came attracted by that sad cry, They noted the situation in which the Princess was and they promised that they would make bridge each year, When not to rain, spreading their wings and forming a bridge between both sides. This is how the lovers got to see each year. But if it was raining that night, then the Magpies could not fly, or form the bridge and then lovers not could be. So in Japan if it is rainy day of Tanabata is said to be the rain of tears.
The Tanabata celebration
To celebrate the Festival of Tanabata, in Japan it is very common that people write wishes in small strips of paper, also called more... or more.... Once written, they hang in the branches of bamboo trees and close to the rivers. It is also tradition to burn those strips during the festival, or the next day, in the hope that such longings, such hopes become in reality.