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~°~ Destination - Evening of the Seventh (Summer Festival) ~°~


Saga
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3680139443_b70551cc13_o.jpg

 

by request from Bridget

 

Let's talk about love,no wait, fine, don't close the thread. We won't talk about love.

 

When you hear Japanese festival,no idea about you,but in my head the image of warm breeze wandering around the city during night puts spell on me. Especially with the adding effect a colorful yukata can do. Yukata is often mistaken for kimono though.

You should know three things about yukata cloth,it's not as expensive as kimono,it's more like daily clothing and often seen during festivals.

 

To switch back to our topic now.

 

TANABATA

 

I won't go in details about the whole history story of this festival. But people chain Tanabata as either the Double Seventh day,or The Star festival. Or even the Chinese Valentine's day.

Well,there is logic.

Tanabata welcomes many people at the evening of "the seventh day of the seventh lunar month",in other words 7th of July. In some regions though,they welcome it around 7th of August.

But,here one big "but", a few people actually know that the date is switchable. The origins of this festival are Chinese. And by the calendar,they calculate the exact day where two stars meet.

 

That's right. This is the most famous festival in Japan,not only,it's the most bright and colorful one as well. On Tanabata's day,you can see the streets pretty inspired by the coming evening.( I just imagined myself like a transporting Superman,holding my coffee,shorts and black sunglasses on. Walking around there just like this. Bet I'd be mocking the eye,lol.) Many malls are busy,the streets decorated in a rainbow giving feeling. Before I drown myself in explanations about what the dear Buddha is this festival about,I should mention this, 2012's official date for Tanabata is 24th of August.

 

435px-Sendai_Tanabata_2005.jpg

 

Let's move to Sendai,Japan.

Better get yourself some pocket change,there is always something luring >_>

Usually the whole festival program is to present the love between Orihime and Hikoboshi,or known as Vega and Altair. There is a legend about two lovers that fell in love. But unfortunately, after their marriage,the woman got separated from her husband by her father. She promised to her father she'd work hard only to meet her love once again on the seventh day of the seventh month. But malchance played on shamisen and they couldn't meet. There was no bridge to connect the both sides of the river they supposedly met. Orihime started crying hard,enough hard to make magpies promise her to spread wings and build a bridge.

 

It's said that if it rains on Tanabata,the lovers won't be able to find the bridge,so they'd meet on the next seventh month. And in fact,annonymly we talk about the stars Vega and Altair that meet on Tanabata.

Japanese love to wait for the moment and see it through the binoculars all together with their lover by side. Romantic ,ne?

 

Here, I'll give you a nice video with the legend described.

Please Register/ Sign In, in order to see the links.

 

TRADITION

Nowadays,many people celebrate it with writing wishes on paper. Some even go poetic.When the wish is written,it's hung on a bamboo.There are two ways of finishing the "ritual",either to set them float over the river,or burn them around midnight the next day.

So do you have any wishes prepared for this year?

 

Saga©

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The legend is so beautiful. leaf4 I knew about the festival, but I had so few informations about it, mainly about how it's celebrated, not about the legends and facts behind it :D

Another awesome and interesting article! *__* I really enjoyed reading it. Thank you Saga! :)

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Thanks dear.... I've known all my life about Vega and Altair so I liked a lot to find out about Tabanata. I'd like to enjoy one at least once in my life. The legend is so beautiful and the vid. I'm sure I won't forget to make my wish this year... :)

Got lot of questions but maybe when you're less busy, lmao...

Once more... thanks....

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I laughed so much when read that part with you walking in shorts and sunglasses on and enjoying the sight :D But after reading that, a question popped up, it might sound stupid, but I'm really curious. You said they are dressed in yukata. So, my question is, if you go as a tourist, and you happen to be there on the 7th July, you can walk around in casual clothes or you must wear a yukata as well? :D

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You can walk around in normal clothes,of course. Though during the night,where the "show" will take place - you should wear yukata. Supposedly you go there to be at the festival,so you are with the idea in mind,can't miss the yukata,na? (:

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thank you for your patience!

i've always wanted to go to one of this festivals... :)

And now that i know more about them, i want to go even more than before!

 

So, thank you for your hard work! ^^

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Like Shirotsuki, and I'm sure many others, I always wanted to go visit Japan during a festival, but now I want it even more. It must be so nice to be able to just walk and admire all the beauties there and the colorful yukata. :)

About the wishes you can write. Must they be related to your lover, the person you like or it can be any kind of wish?

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You can write down any kind of a wish. (:

Those that want to see the ritual,

Please Register/ Sign In, in order to see the links.
. It's from 2011. (:

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Very interesting article and the legend is so beautiful! It's nice to hear a romantic story from the Japanese, because they give the impression they are somehow cold, not as in not helping the others or not being friendly, but they seem a bit distant and they give the impression they are not romantic :D

Beautiful video and pictures as well :)

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