July 7th is Tanabata — an annual celebration originating from the Qixi Festival. It celebrates the separated lovers Orihime 織姫 and Hikoboshi 彦星. The deities are allowed to meet each other across the Milky Way only once a year on the evening of July 7th.
In Japan, people celebrate by writing their wishes on tanzaku (strip of paper) and hang them on bamboo trees along with other decors. These can be seen everywhere!
This is the bamboo tree from our community center. The facilitators arranged for us and the babies to decorate the tree.
Making the paper chains.
Making water melons.
paper dye!
Drying! Then used to make paper streamers.
Then we wrote our wishes on strips of paper and hung them. Then they played a song about the deities while walking around the bamboo tree.
And finally, they cut out a branch each for us to take home!
Our tanabata bamboo tree!
They even prepared cucumber and miso paste for us! Little A ate (aka gnawed) a couple of sticks!
Happy Tanabata! 🙂 May all your wishes come true! 🙂
valchoa 