Tanabata Festival on July 7

On the 7th night of the 7th moon or July 7th, Tanabata Festival is celebrated in Japan. Tanabata is also known as the Star Festival or the Festival of the Star-Crossed Lovers.

The Tanabata is celebrated on the mainland and in Okinawa. On mainland Japan, the festival witnesses an evening ceremony where candles are floated down streams and rivers. The flames represent the stars and the water represents the heavenly river.

In Okinawa, children and adults write Japanese love poems on brightly colored strips of paper. Other strips of paper along with bright decorations represent wishes for success, wealth, love and health. The decorations come in red, yellow, green white and black paper. The poems and decorations are hung on bamboo trees or branches and offered to the stars.

First celebrated in 755, the Tanabata Festival as well as many others began with a popular legend.

The legend is based on a tale about Princess Shokujo, the weaving girl, and her father, the Celestial Emperor Tentei. They lived on the east bank of the Heavenly River also known as the Milky Way. The princess wove cloth for the many gods in her father's mansion. As she reached maturity her father chose a herdsman named Kengyu the "Ox Puller" who ruled west of the river, to be her groom.

Shokujo and Kengyu were introduced, fell in love and were married. Their honeymoon lasted so long that they both neglected to perform their duties. Kengyu's oxen became thin and weak. The gods were angry because Shokujo was not weaving cloth for them. Emperor Tentei decided to punish the young couple and condemned them to be separated by the river, only allowing them to meet one night every year.

The river dividing their kingdoms was very deep and swift. There was no bridge so the couple relied on magpies to flock together on this night to form a path so Shokujo could walk over to meet her husband. Today, the legend says that Shokujo is Vega, the Princess Star, and Kengyu is Altair, the Prince Star. One time each year these two stars cross paths, hence, they've become known as the star-crossed lovers.

The belief that Vega and Altair cross paths only once a year is very appealing to young Japanese girls. They eagerly pray during Tanabata for the success of their own love and also pray that the weather will be fair. If it rains the Milky Way will become flooded and the two stars will not be able to meet for another year. Rain on the evening of Tanabata is considered bad luck for couples.

Text above has a slight variation from the original text.
Tanabata Foto link here.