History and origin of Tanabata! The legend of Orihime and Hikoboshi and the reason for using bamboo branches are explained.

Tanabata is a traditional Japanese summer festival, one of the traditional summer events in Japan. It is based on the romantic myth that Orihime and Hikoboshi will reunite only once a year. Based on the romantic myth that Orihime and Hikoboshi will reunite only once a year, festivals are held throughout Japan every summer.

The Tanabata festival, which has continued since ancient times, began as a ritual at court and spread to the common people, evolving in various ways in each region.

This article details the historical background and origin of Tanabata, as well as thestory of Orihime and Hikoboshi, and Tanabata festivals held in various parts of Japan.

History of Tanabata

Tanabata, which has become a standard summer event, has a long history. Let’s take a look at the history of Tanabata.

one of the five festivals

Tanabata is one of the five festivals of Japan.

The five festivals are Jinnichi (January 7), Joushi (March 3), Tango (May 5), Tanabata (July 7), and Chou-you (September 9), which are ancient customs and ceremonies to celebrate seasonal milestones.

The five festivals are often held on days with odd numbers, This is due to the fact that in Yin-Yang Tao, odd numbers are considered to be the yang of yin and yang. This is because odd numbers are considered to be the yang of yin and yang in the Yin Yang Tao.

In other words, any day with an odd number is a “day for celebration. Tanabata is one of the five festivals, and July 7 is another day on which odd numbers overlap. The word “Tanabata” written in Chinese characters is “Tanabata” (Star Festival).

But it is not just because of the odd numbers. The Chinese character for Tanabata comes from an ancient ritual called Tanabata Tanabata.

Tanakiki is a ceremony in which women weave cloth on special looms and offer it to the gods. This ceremony was held on July 7 as a courtly event during the Nara period (710-794).

Tanabata, once a court event for the nobility, became a five-day festival during the Edo period (1603-1867). The Tanabata event spread among the common people as well, and has continued to the present day.

The first Tanabata Festival in Japan was held in the Nara period (710-794)

Although Tanabata became a common event during the Edo period (1603-1867), its origins in Japan date back to the Nara period (710-794).

Originally, The event called “Kikkouden” was introduced from Tang China and adopted by the court in the Nara period. Later, it developed into the Japanese Tanabata event as I explained earlier.

The Tanabata festival originated in the Kikkouden festival, which was mainly for women to pray for the improvement of their handicrafts and calligraphy. It is said that this event took root in Japan and people prayed for improvement in poetry and orchestration from the time when it was a court event.

Today’s Tanabata is also a time to write wishes on tanzaku strips and hang them on bamboo branches, but originally it was a time to wish for improvement in one’s studies.

The original was the seventh day of the seventh month of the lunar calendar.

Tanabata is still celebrated on July 7, but this is according to the new calendar.Tanabata was originally held on July 7 of the lunar calendar.

July 7 on the lunar calendar falls around the middle of August on the current calendar. This is the time of year when the rainy season has just ended and there are many sunny days. And if you look up at the night sky, you can see the Milky Way beautifully.

This sense of the season also helped to link the story of Orihime and Hikoboshi with the beautiful summer night sky, creating a more and more romantic image of Tanabata.

Even after the transition to the new calendar, Tanabata was still celebrated on July 7, and the custom continues to this day.However, in some areas, the Tanabata Festival is held on the seventh day of the seventh month of the lunar calendar.

What is Tanabata (Tanakiki)?

The Chinese character for Tanabata also has a history. In fact, it was originally Tanabata” but “Tanakiki Tanabata” was originally called “Tanakiki”.

Shelving machines are used to weave cloth.

The woman who wove the cloth on the tanabata-ki was called tanabatatsume. Tanabatatsume had the role of weaving cloth for the gods in a hut by the river, an ancient Japanese ritual. The Tanabatatsume and Orihime overlapped, giving birth to the Tanabata Festival on July 7.

Why do Orihime and Hikoboshi meet only once a year?

Many people may think of the legend of Orihime and Hikoboshi when they think of Tanabata. I will talk about the myth of Orihime and Hikoboshi, who can no longer meet but once a year.

Japanese Myths about Tanabata

When most people think of Tanabata, the myth of Orihime and Hikoboshi comes to mind. Orihime, the heroine of the myth, was a nymph in the “Ushiro Orihime” and the daughter of the emperor, the highest-ranking celestial being in the sky.

The weaver, who possessed very fine weaving skills, was in the business of making cloth to offer to the gods, and she wove fabric every day on the banks of the Milky Way.

Hikoboshi, on the other hand, was a serious young man who kept a cow on the other side of the Milky Way. They fell in love with each other and eventually married.

However, after their marriage, the two neglect their work, the cloth they offer to the gods becomes tattered, and the cow grows thin. This provoked the wrath of the Emperor of Heaven. The emperor was so angry that he separated them on both banks of the Milky Way.

The emperor allowed them to meet only once a year on Tanabata night, on the condition that they work diligently.

This is the story of the Tanabata myth.

Their love story, matched with the summer night sky, has been engraved in people’s hearts, and the event has been held every year on July 7 to wish for the reunion of Orihime and Hikoboshi.

History of Tanabata Festival

Tanabata Matsuri is a festival held throughout Japan.

It is one of the summer festivals that have widely spread among the common people, with Tanabata events held by individuals and groups. Let’s take a look at the history of such Tanabata festivals.

Tanabata Festival was held in the mid-Edo period

Tanabata festivals began to flourish around the middle of the Edo period (1603-1867), when Tanabata was designated as one of the five festivals and became popular among the general public. During this period, the town of Edo was lit up with lanterns on the night of Tanabata and the town was decorated with lively colors.

Tanabata is an event greatly enjoyed by the common people, and it spread as a festival in which many people participate. The custom of writing wishes on tanzaku strips and decorating them on bamboo branches took root during the Tanabata Festival.

It is believed to have originated in China’s Kikkouden, which was originally a prayer for improvement in arts and learning, but the frame of wishes gradually expanded, and now various wishes are written, not stopping at the state of arts and learning.

The colorful strips of paper and decorations of Tanabata decorations are a summer tradition that adds color to the festival.

Japan’s Three Great Tanabata Festivals

Tanabata is a traditional event held in many places, and the three most famous Tanabata festivals in Japan are especially famous.

Sendai Tanabata Festival (Sendai City, Miyagi Prefecture)

The Sendai Tanabata Festival is one of the largest Tanabata festivals in Japan, held annually from August 6 to 8.

It is a very famous festival, one of the three major festivals in Tohoku, and is grandly celebrated with approximately 2 million visitors.

The Sendai Tanabata Festival is said to have originated in the Edo period (1603-1867), when Date Masamune recommended the Tanabata Festival as a way to improve culture toward women.

During the festival, the city of Sendai is decorated with huge Tanabata decorations, and the streets are filled with colorful streamers and paper decorations. The city is also decorated with beautiful decorations mainly in the shopping streets. Many decorations are made with traditional Japanese techniques, such as decorations made of Japanese paper and origami paper cranes.

Hiratsuka Tanabata Festival (Hiratsuka City, Kanagawa Prefecture)

The Hiratsuka Tanabata Festival is held every year from the first Friday to Sunday in July in Hiratsuka City, Kanagawa Prefecture.

It is one of the representative Tanabata festivals in the Kanto region, and during the festival the entire city is colored in Tanabata colors. The Hiratsuka Tanabata Festival began during the postwar reconstruction period.

It was originally planned to revitalize the local economy.

Since then, it has become famous as one of the three major Tanabata festivals in Kanto and enjoyed by many people. The number of Tanabata decorations is as large as 3,000 for the entire city, and large-scale Tanabata decorations are displayed in shopping streets and public facilities, and Tanabata decoration contests and parades are held.

Ichinomiya Tanabata Festival (Ichinomiya City, Aichi Prefecture)

The Ichinomiya Tanabata Festival is held every year in Ichinomiya City, Aichi Prefecture, on a Thursday, Friday, Saturday, or Sunday at the end of July. Ichinomiya has long flourished as a textile town, and the Tanabata Festival is deeply rooted in the community.

Many textile-related decorations and events are held at the festival, including the Goromo Dedication Procession, Bon Dance Festival, Lantern Festival, and various other events.

During the festival, the town is decorated with colorful Tanabata decorations.

It is also a valuable opportunity to experience Ichinomiya’s history and traditions through exhibits related to the textile industry and events introducing local culture.

Festivals derived from Tanabata

Tanabata festivals are widely rooted in the common people and have evolved uniquely in each region. Various festivals derived from Tanabata were born in the process.

While based on the tradition of Tanabata, it has evolved into a unique event that reflects the characteristics and culture of the region.

Fusion with Obon

Tanabata is also known as an event that is fused with Obon in some regions. In some regions, Tanabata is called Nanukabon, which means the beginning of Obon.

The original Tanabata festival is July 7 on the lunar calendar, which is mid-August on the current calendar, so it coincides exactly with the Obon season. In some parts of the Tohoku region, for example, Tanabata and Obon are celebrated together in a ceremony to welcome the spirits of ancestors.

In some parts of western Japan, Tanabata is celebrated according to the lunar calendar and is considered part of the Obon festival.

Tanabata Dance

In Ichigori-cho, Kagoshima Prefecture, a parade called “Tanabata Odori” is held on Tanabata Festival. Designated by the national government as an important folk cultural asset, the event features a unique dance in which people wear hanagasa hats and parade through the streets with made-up animals such as cows.

ceremony in which paper lanterns are floated down a river

As one of the events of Tanabata, Lantern floating is held in some areas There are also areas where

The purpose of this ceremony is to wash away one’s own impurities by floating lanterns down rivers and into the sea, and to make offerings to the spirits of one’s ancestors.

The sight of lanterns illuminated by candlelight flowing on the surface of the water is a beautiful traditional event.

Tanabata customs

There are many customs associated with Tanabata. Some have changed over time, but there is a reason for the use of five-color strips of paper and bamboo branches.

The origin of the five-color strips of paper comes from the theory of the five elements

In Tanabata decorations, wishes are written on five-colored strips of paper and hung on bamboo branches. These five-colored strips of paper are derived from the theory of the five elements.

The Five Elements theory holds that everything is composed of the five elements: wood, fire, earth, metal, and water.

This, The five colors are “wood, fire, earth, metal, and water. The five colors are “wood,” “fire,” “earth,” “metal,” and “water.

Thu: blue (green)
Tue: red
Sat: yellow
Fri: white
Wed: black (purple)

It is believed that by writing wishes on strips of paper in these colors, the written wishes will more easily reach the heavens.

Today, many tanzaku decorations are available in a wide variety of colors, but the five colors of the Five Elements Theory are the original colors of the tanzaku used for Tanabata decorations.

Why do we use bamboo branches for Tanabata?

Speaking of Tanabata decorations Bamboos But there is a reason why bamboo branches are used.

This is because it is a plant that grows straight up into the sky, and because it grows so fast, it has been considered sacred.

It is also believed that bamboos have the power to ward off evil spirits, and by decorating bamboos with Tanabata decorations and writing wishes on strips of paper, it is believed that wishes will be purified and delivered to the heavens.

Bamboos and bamboos were treated as plants for celebration, which is why they were used for Tanabata decorations.

Is it likely to rain on Tanabata?

Tanabata is an event that many people wish for “clear skies” because if it rains, Orihime and Hikoboshi will not be able to meet.

However, July 7, the Tanabata Festival, is also a time when the rainy season has not ended in some areas and rain is likely to fall.

It also explains the distance between the Orihime star Vega and the Hikoboshi star Altair, which actually shine in the night sky.

The rain that falls on Tanabata is called tearful rain

The rain that falls on Tanabata is called “tearful rain. the rain that falls on Tanabata is called “Saireuui.

This term originates from the Tanabata legend, in which Orihime and Hikoboshi are sad tears because they cannot see each other after it rains.

It is said that on that night when they meet only once a year, it rains and the tears shed by the two who cannot cross the Milky Way become rain.

If it rains on Tanabata, can’t they meet?

The legend of Tanabata is the story of the meeting of the two Orihime and Hikoboshi when the weather clears. This is, This legend comes from the legend that if it rains on the night of Tanabata, the water level of the Milky Way will increase and the two will not be able to cross the Milky Way. the two will not be able to cross the Milky Way.

On the other hand, there is another legend that a bird called magpie builds a bridge across the Milky Way so that two people can meet even if it rains. As you can see, there are various legends about Tanabata, all of which have a tasteful content.

Vega (Orihime) and Altair (Hikoboshi) are far apart!

Now that we have explained the legend of Tanabata and the flavor and tradition of the event, let’s talk about the practicalities of the event at the end.

Vega and Altair, known as Orihime and Hikoboshi, are actual fixed stars. Vega is a very bright star of magnitude 0 in the constellation Lyra, and Altair is a magnitude 0.7 star in the constellation Eagle.

Both stars are clearly visible to the naked eye on clear days. These two bright stars are also known as the stars that form the Summer Triangle.

And these two fixed stars appear to face each other across the Milky Way. It is as if Orihime and Hikoboshi are on opposite sides of the Milky Way.

Astronomically looking at these two stars, Vega is about 25 light years from Earth and Altair is 16 light years away. This is 25 and 16 years at the speed of light, which seems very far away.

Of course, this is a tremendous distance that we humans cannot reach, but on the scale of the universe, it is a close star.

And the distance between the two stars, Vega and Altair, is 15 light years.

This means that even if they went to see each other at the speed of light, it would take 7.5 years…. It may seem to put a damper on the wonderful Tanabata legend, but it seems to be a difficult distance to meet once a year.

summary

The origin and history of Tanabata Den, and the myths and festivals of Tanabata were explained.

Tanabata is a traditional summer event that used to be a courtly event but spread among the general public when it was designated as one of the five festivals in the Edo period ( 1603-1868 ).

It has a history derived from mythology and Shinto rituals, and the colors of the strips of paper and the use of bamboo branches are also meaningful.

And Tanabata is also a traditional event that is evolving with today’s lifestyle.

When writing Tanabata strips on a summer day, it seems good to look up at the night sky, thinking about its history and origin.