Tanabata

Everything is ready for the Star Festival ceremony. Waiting for the Emperor to leave.On July 7, the Emperor appears on the upper veranda of Omima Palace to write waka verses on the leaves of the Kaji tree and to present poems to two stars: Prince Altair and Princess Vega. According to legend, the stars could only meet once a year on that July night.

For the “Star Festival” ceremony in front of the Emperor, 7 leaves of the kaji tree, 2 long pieces of traditional sakubei sweets, steamed from flour and rice, and 7 threads of fine somen noodles are laid out on a special ceremonial stand. Nearby on the tray are prepared 7 ink tiles, 2 brushes, an ink stick and a sheet of tarot for storing dew drops. Next, the servants rub ink with dew drops, and the Emperor writes poems on each of the 7 leaves, using for each sheet of ink different ink tiles.

Here is a short and unpretentious narrative about the ceremony of Tanabata (formerly “Star Festival”) at the Imperial Palace in Kyoto left us with history.

The Star Festival originates from the Prayers for Skill Festival, which was celebrated by the Emperor's cronies and the palace aristocracy in Kyoto during the Heian era (roughly 794 to 1185). The festival came to the masses in the early Edo era (the first half of the 17th century), when the traditions of the festival mixed with the various ritual activities of the Buddhist Obon ceremony, and gradually the festival transformed into a modern Tanabata festival. In the Edo era, girls wanted skill in sewing and similar painstaking work, and boys - skill in improving handwriting when writing wishes on thin sheets of paper.

And today, on the day of the Tanabata festival, the Japanese compose, sometimes in verse form, and write wishes on thin multicolored pieces of paper called tanzaku.

Bamboo branches with tanzaku on the square in front of the station of one of the favorite vacation spots of the Japanese - Arashiyama (a suburb of Kyoto, July 1, 2007)

Then they decorate their works with bamboo branches prepared specifically for this July festival. Traditionally, bamboo branches with tanzaku can be seen along rivers and canals, but if you pass through the city, you will easily notice jewelry near large department stores, supermarkets, and near small private shops and shops, near hospitals and hospital halls, in restaurants, near schools and even kindergartens. It is interesting that here are necessarily prepared and laid out and clean leaves-tanzaku, and writing supplies. After making a purchase or having lunch in a restaurant, you can immediately write your wish and attach it to the nearest branch. And then wait patiently for his execution.

Of course, the most not indifferent to the holiday teenagers, high school students, students. On campuses, serious preparations are underway for July 7, or rather, for the night from July 6 to July 7, when Vega and Altair meet. Here you can see trees decorated with tanzaku (many tanzaku take the form of hearts), paper lanterns, talismans, and homemade concert venues, and trays with cooking food. In the evening, young people and girls, dressed in light summer kimonos called yukata, will begin the celebration, hoping for the fulfillment of all the wishes, most of which are the hope of meeting with the only and unique love.