“Why do you always have a symbol of star
(*) when you write something?”
Ha ha ha ha :D many people ask me this
question, and I always have the same answer, “It’s because I love the story of
Tanabata. Just google it!”
Yeah, I love the story of Orihime and
Hikoboshi, a love story which I heard when I was in the junior high school. I
didn’t know exactly the original version of this story, but this is the version
I heard over and over again:
Orihime (織姫
Weaving
Princess), daughter of the Tentei
(天帝
Sky King,
or the universe itself), wove beautiful clothes by
the bank of the Amanogawa (天の川
Milky Way,
lit. "heavenly river"). Her father loved the cloth
that she wove and so she worked very hard every day to weave it. However,
Orihime was sad that because of her hard work she could never meet and fall in
love with anyone. Concerned about his daughter, Tentei arranged for her to meet
Hikoboshi (彦星 Cow Herder Star)
(also referred to as Kengyuu (牽牛)
who lived and worked on the other side of the Amanogawa. When the two met, they
fell instantly in love with each other and married shortly thereafter. However,
once married, Orihime no longer would weave cloth for Tentei and Hikoboshi
allowed his cows to stray all over Heaven. In anger, Tentei separated the two
lovers across the Amanogawa and forbade them to meet. Orihime became despondent
at the loss of her husband and asked her father to let them meet again. Tentei
was moved by his daughter’s tears and allowed the two to meet on the 7th day of
the 7th month if she worked hard and finished her weaving. The first time they
tried to meet, however, they found that they could not cross the river because
there was no bridge. Orihime cried so much that a flock of magpies came and
promised to make a bridge with their wings so that she could cross the river.
It is said that if it rains on Tanabata, the magpies cannot come and the two
lovers must wait until another year to meet. (Taken from the Wikipedia)
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| Bamboo decoration - Orihime and Hikoboshi...which one is which? :p |
From some other story I heard that Orihime
and Hikoboshi are represented by two stars; Altair and Vega which are separated
by the Milky Way Galaxy river (Amanogawa). The two stars (Altair and Vega) seem
in the same position if we see them from the earth around July 7. Some of my
Japanese friends told me that there’s also a belief that if we commit to a
relationship in the July 7, it will be last forever. Such a beautiful story! That's why I always a star when I wrote something...SMS, email, chat..etc.. :
)
In August 2012, I went to Japan and I was
so lucky! Yatta! There’s a Tanabata Festival on Augustu 12 in Kyoto. I was so
surprised, as I thought that the festival was only on July 7. But, Tono-chan,
my Japanese friend, told me that some towns in Japan had their own local
Tanabat Festival that might be held around July – August. Yokata!
 | |
| The tanzakus are hung in the bamboo trees along the river |
It’s more than just a love story! When I came
to the festival I could find people hung their wishes in the bamboo trees
around the river in Kyoto. They wrote their wishes, some of them in the form of
Japanese poem, on the tanzaku (短冊), a small piece
of paper and hanging it on the bamboo tree along the night.
 |
| The Lamps represent Amanogawa rive. Beautiful! |
I was so lucky to see a beautiful Tanabata
festival, moreover I went there in a very beautiful costume, yukata!
I found out that Tanabata is more than just a
story of love. It’s a story of hope that shows me how beautiful life is when
you have a hope, a dream. I deeply feel the beauty of Japan in its tradition
through Kyoto Tanabata Festival. And I feel how beautiful life is when you have
something to believe, something you are waiting for. : )
Thanks Japan!
 |
| Tono-chan and me! :) |
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| Dal, from Timor Leste, me, and Tono-chan. We were under the Amanogawa river decoration..yeah! |
