#kikkoden

Essential Japanese Seasonal Decorations - Summer

Seasonality: Late Summer/ July

Japanese Name: Tanabata/ Kikkoden/ Hikoboshi-Orihime/ Hikoboshi/ Orihime/ Tanzaku/ Sasatake/ Tanabata-kazari

English Name: Star Festival/ Festival to Plead for Skills/ Cowherder-Weaver Girl/ Cowherder/ Weaving Princess/ Paper Strips/ Small Bamboo/ Star Festival Decorations

    Tanabata (七夕, meaning "Evening of the seventh"), also known as the Star Festival, is a Japanese festival originating from the Chinese Qixi Festival. It celebrates the meeting of the deities Orihime and Hikoboshi (represented by the stars Vega and Altair respectively). According to legend, the Milky Way separates these lovers, and they are allowed to meet only once a year on the seventh day of the seventh lunar month of the lunisolar calendar. The date of Tanabata varies by region of the country, but the first festivities begin on 7 July of the Gregorian calendar. The celebration is held at various days between July and August. The festival was introduced to Japan by the Empress Kōken in 755. It originated from "The Festival to Plead for Skills" (乞巧奠 Kikkōden), an alternative name for Qixi, which was celebrated in China and also was adopted in the Kyoto Imperial Palace from the Heian period.The festival gained widespread popularity amongst the general public by the early Edo period, when it became mixed with various Obon or Bon traditions, and developed into the modern Tanabata festival. Popular customs relating to the festival varied by region of the country, but generally, girls wished for better sewing and craftsmanship, and boys wished for better handwriting by writing wishes on strips of paper.

  Hikoboshi-Orihime (牛郎織女, "The Cowherd and the Weaver Girl") is the famous Chinese folklore story that inspired the Japanese Tanabata festival, as well as the Chinese Qixi and Korean Chilseok festivals. In the most popular version of the story, it says that:

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, Cowman/Cowherd Star, or literally Boy Star) 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 because of the rise of the river and the two lovers must wait until another year to meet. The rain of this day is called "The tear of Orihime and Hikoboshi".

   Tanzaku (短冊, paper strips), are what people in present-day Japan generally use to celebrate Tanabata by writing wishes, sometimes in the form of poetry, and hanging them from bamboo, sometimes with other decorations. The practice of making wishes on Tanabata comes from another name for the holiday, Kikkoden, which means “The Festival to Plead for Skills,” such as sewing for girls and handwriting/craftsmanship for boys. Over time, the various colors of the tanzaku came to represent the five Eastern elements and are associated with specific types of wishes.

Blue or green tanzaku represent the Wood element, the star Vega, virtuousness and self-improvement.

Red tanzaku represent the Fire element, the star Antares and appreciation for ancestors or parents.

Yellow tanzaku represent the Earth element, the star Altair, friendships and trust.

White tanzaku represent the Metal element, the Milky Way, commitments and promises.

Black or purple tanzaku represent the Water element, the color of the night sky, and improved education.

In earlier Tanabata celebrations, once the festival had ended, these decorations were floated down a river or sent out to see so that the gods could take them away, a similar tradition to toro nagashi.

   Sasatake (笹竹;篠竹, “small bamboo”) is where tanzaku and other decorations, known as tanabata-kazari (Tanabata ornaments), are hung during the Tanabata holiday.  When this holiday first came to Japan, wishes were written on the leaves of the sacred kaji (mulberry) tree. As time passed, the event transformed into a festival for wishing on the stars by writing wishes on tanzaku instead of kaji leaves, and hanging these strips of paper on bamboo branches. Incidentally, the bamboo has also been a sacred plant since the olden days, just like the mulberry tree, and it is also said that gods live in bamboo trees.

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Essential Japanese Seasonal Decorations - Summer

Seasonality: Late Summer/ July

Japanese Name: Tanabata/ Kikkoden/ Hikoboshi-Orihime/ Hikoboshi/ Orihime/ Tanzaku/ Sasatake/ Tanabata-kazari

English Name: Star Festival/ Festival to Plead for Skills/ Cowherder-Weaver Girl/ Cowherder/ Weaving Princess/ Paper Strips/ Small Bamboo/ Star Festival Decorations

     Tanabata (七夕, meaning "Evening of the seventh"), also known as the Star Festival, is a Japanese festival originating from the Chinese Qixi Festival. It celebrates the meeting of the deities Orihime and Hikoboshi (represented by the stars Vega and Altair respectively). According to legend, the Milky Way separates these lovers, and they are allowed to meet only once a year on the seventh day of the seventh lunar month of the lunisolar calendar. The date of Tanabata varies by region of the country, but the first festivities begin on 7 July of the Gregorian calendar. The celebration is held at various days between July and August. The festival was introduced to Japan by the Empress Kōken in 755. It originated from "The Festival to Plead for Skills" (乞巧奠 Kikkōden), an alternative name for Qixi, which was celebrated in China and also was adopted in the Kyoto Imperial Palace from the Heian period.The festival gained widespread popularity amongst the general public by the early Edo period, when it became mixed with various Obon or Bon traditions, and developed into the modern Tanabata festival. Popular customs relating to the festival varied by region of the country, but generally, girls wished for better sewing and craftsmanship, and boys wished for better handwriting by writing wishes on strips of paper. 

   Hikoboshi-Orihime (牛郎織女, "The Cowherd and the Weaver Girl") is the famous Chinese folklore story that inspired the Japanese Tanabata festival, as well as the Chinese Qixi and Korean Chilseok festivals. In the most popular version of the story, it says that:

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, Cowman/Cowherd Star, or literally Boy Star) 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 because of the rise of the river and the two lovers must wait until another year to meet. The rain of this day is called "The tear of Orihime and Hikoboshi". 

    Tanzaku (短冊, paper strips), are what people in present-day Japan generally use to celebrate Tanabata by writing wishes, sometimes in the form of poetry, and hanging them from bamboo, sometimes with other decorations. The practice of making wishes on Tanabata comes from another name for the holiday, Kikkoden, which means “The Festival to Plead for Skills,” such as sewing for girls and handwriting/craftsmanship for boys. Over time, the various colors of the tanzaku came to represent the five Eastern elements and are associated with specific types of wishes.

Blue or green tanzaku represent the Wood element, the star Vega, virtuousness and self-improvement.

Red tanzaku represent the Fire element, the star Antares and appreciation for ancestors or parents.

Yellow tanzaku represent the Earth element, the star Altair, friendships and trust.

White tanzaku represent the Metal element, the Milky Way, commitments and promises.

Black or purple tanzaku represent the Water element, the color of the night sky, and improved education.

In earlier Tanabata celebrations, once the festival had ended, these decorations were floated down a river or sent out to see so that the gods could take them away, a similar tradition to toro nagashi. 

    Sasatake (笹竹;篠竹, “small bamboo”) is where tanzaku and other decorations, known as tanabata-kazari (Tanabata ornaments), are hung during the Tanabata holiday.  When this holiday first came to Japan, wishes were written on the leaves of the sacred kaji (mulberry) tree. As time passed, the event transformed into a festival for wishing on the stars by writing wishes on tanzaku instead of kaji leaves, and hanging these strips of paper on bamboo branches. Incidentally, the bamboo has also been a sacred plant since the olden days, just like the mulberry tree, and it is also said that gods live in bamboo trees. 

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Essential Japanese Seasonal Decorations - Summer

Seasonality: Late Summer/ July

Japanese Name: Tanabata/ Kikkoden/ Hikoboshi-Orihime/ Hikoboshi/ Orihime/ Tanzaku/ Sasatake/ Tanabata-kazari

English Name: Star Festival/ Festival to Plead for Skills/ Cowherder-Weaver Girl/ Cowherder/ Weaving Princess/ Paper Strips/ Small Bamboo/ Star Festival Decorations

   Tanabata (七夕, meaning "Evening of the seventh"), also known as the Star Festival, is a Japanese festival originating from the Chinese Qixi Festival. It celebrates the meeting of the deities Orihime and Hikoboshi (represented by the stars Vega and Altair respectively). According to legend, the Milky Way separates these lovers, and they are allowed to meet only once a year on the seventh day of the seventh lunar month of the lunisolar calendar. The date of Tanabata varies by region of the country, but the first festivities begin on 7 July of the Gregorian calendar. The celebration is held at various days between July and August. The festival was introduced to Japan by the Empress Kōken in 755. It originated from "The Festival to Plead for Skills" (乞巧奠 Kikkōden), an alternative name for Qixi, which was celebrated in China and also was adopted in the Kyoto Imperial Palace from the Heian period.The festival gained widespread popularity amongst the general public by the early Edo period, when it became mixed with various Obon or Bon traditions, and developed into the modern Tanabata festival. Popular customs relating to the festival varied by region of the country, but generally, girls wished for better sewing and craftsmanship, and boys wished for better handwriting by writing wishes on strips of paper. 

   Hikoboshi-Orihime (牛郎織女, "The Cowherd and the Weaver Girl") is the famous Chinese folklore story that inspired the Japanese Tanabata festival, as well as the Chinese Qixi and Korean Chilseok festivals. In the most popular version of the story, it says that:

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, Cowman/Cowherd Star, or literally Boy Star) 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 because of the rise of the river and the two lovers must wait until another year to meet. The rain of this day is called "The tear of Orihime and Hikoboshi". 

    Tanzaku (短冊, paper strips), are what people in present-day Japan generally use to celebrate Tanabata by writing wishes, sometimes in the form of poetry, and hanging them from bamboo, sometimes with other decorations. The practice of making wishes on Tanabata comes from another name for the holiday, Kikkoden, which means “The Festival to Plead for Skills,” such as sewing for girls and handwriting/craftsmanship for boys. Over time, the various colors of the tanzaku came to represent the five Eastern elements and are associated with specific types of wishes.

Blue or green tanzaku represent the Wood element, the star Vega, virtuousness and self-improvement.

Red tanzaku represent the Fire element, the star Antares and appreciation for ancestors or parents.

Yellow tanzaku represent the Earth element, the star Altair, friendships and trust.

White tanzaku represent the Metal element, the Milky Way, commitments and promises.

Black or purple tanzaku represent the Water element, the color of the night sky, and improved education.

In earlier Tanabata celebrations, once the festival had ended, these decorations were floated down a river or sent out to see so that the gods could take them away, a similar tradition to toro nagashi. 

    Sasatake (笹竹;篠竹, “small bamboo”) is where tanzaku and other decorations, known as tanabata-kazari (Tanabata ornaments), are hung during the Tanabata holiday.  When this holiday first came to Japan, wishes were written on the leaves of the sacred kaji (mulberry) tree. As time passed, the event transformed into a festival for wishing on the stars by writing wishes on tanzaku instead of kaji leaves, and hanging these strips of paper on bamboo branches. Incidentally, the bamboo has also been a sacred plant since the olden days, just like the mulberry tree, and it is also said that gods live in bamboo trees. As high as you hold Sasatake, it is said that your wish will be granted better. It grows straight to the sky and when the wind blows, the bamboo leafs make a sound, which is said to call ancestors. For this reason, it’s used for sending people’s wishes to the heaven, the gods or their ancestors.

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Essential Japanese Seasonal Decorations - Summer

Seasonality: Late Summer/ July

Japanese Name: Tanabata/ Kikkoden/ Hikoboshi-Orihime/ Hikoboshi/ Orihime/ Tanzaku/ Sasatake/ Tanabata-kazari/ Hyotan/ Nasu

English Name: Star Festival/ Festival to Plead for Skills/ Cowherder-Weaver Girl/ Cowherder/ Weaving Princess/ Paper Strips/ Small Bamboo/ Star Festival Decorations/ Bottle Gourd/ Eggplant/ Aubergine

     Tanabata (七夕, meaning "Evening of the seventh"), also known as the Star Festival, is a Japanese festival originating from the Chinese Qixi Festival. It celebrates the meeting of the deities Orihime and Hikoboshi (represented by the stars Vega and Altair respectively). According to legend, the Milky Way separates these lovers, and they are allowed to meet only once a year on the seventh day of the seventh lunar month of the lunisolar calendar. The date of Tanabata varies by region of the country, but the first festivities begin on 7 July of the Gregorian calendar. The celebration is held at various days between July and August. The festival was introduced to Japan by the Empress Kōken in 755. It originated from "The Festival to Plead for Skills" (乞巧奠 Kikkōden), an alternative name for Qixi, which was celebrated in China and also was adopted in the Kyoto Imperial Palace from the Heian period.The festival gained widespread popularity amongst the general public by the early Edo period, when it became mixed with various Obon or Bon traditions, and developed into the modern Tanabata festival. Popular customs relating to the festival varied by region of the country, but generally, girls wished for better sewing and craftsmanship, and boys wished for better handwriting by writing wishes on strips of paper. 

   Hikoboshi-Orihime (牛郎織女, "The Cowherd and the Weaver Girl") is the famous Chinese folklore story that inspired the Japanese Tanabata festival, as well as the Chinese Qixi and Korean Chilseok festivals. In the most popular version of the story, it says that:

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, Cowman/Cowherd Star, or literally Boy Star) 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 because of the rise of the river and the two lovers must wait until another year to meet. The rain of this day is called "The tear of Orihime and Hikoboshi". 

    Tanzaku (短冊, paper strips), are what people in present-day Japan generally use to celebrate Tanabata by writing wishes, sometimes in the form of poetry, and hanging them from bamboo, sometimes with other decorations. The practice of making wishes on Tanabata comes from another name for the holiday, Kikkoden, which means “The Festival to Plead for Skills,” such as sewing for girls and handwriting/craftsmanship for boys. Over time, the various colors of the tanzaku came to represent the five Eastern elements and are associated with specific types of wishes.

Blue or green tanzaku represent the Wood element, the star Vega, virtuousness and self-improvement.

Red tanzaku represent the Fire element, the star Antares and appreciation for ancestors or parents.

Yellow tanzaku represent the Earth element, the star Altair, friendships and trust.

White tanzaku represent the Metal element, the Milky Way, commitments and promises.

Black or purple tanzaku represent the Water element, the color of the night sky, and improved education.

In earlier Tanabata celebrations, once the festival had ended, these decorations were floated down a river or sent out to see so that the gods could take them away, a similar tradition to toro nagashi. 

    Sasatake (笹竹;篠竹, “small bamboo”) is where tanzaku and other decorations, known as tanabata-kazari (Tanabata ornaments), are hung during the Tanabata holiday.  When this holiday first came to Japan, wishes were written on the leaves of the sacred kaji (mulberry) tree. As time passed, the event transformed into a festival for wishing on the stars by writing wishes on tanzaku instead of kaji leaves, and hanging these strips of paper on bamboo branches. Incidentally, the bamboo has also been a sacred plant since the olden days, just like the mulberry tree, and it is also said that gods live in bamboo trees.

     Hyotan (瓢箪, gourd-basket) are a type of summer vine vegetable used to make containers for liquids once the vegetable is dried and hollowed. Introduced to Japan in 14,000 BCE, they have been a part of Japanese culture for close to 10,000 years. The hyotan is featured in this Tanabata decoration because it is well-known that Hikoboshi was fond of sake. 

    Nasu (茄子, eggplants or aubergines) are often popular foods to eat during Tanabata. When Tanabata (then known as Qixi or Kikkoden) was first imported to Japan, it coincided with the O-Bon holiday (15th day of the 7th lunar month) as well as a native Japanese purification ritual known as Tanabata. The Japanese Imperial Court would celebrate Kikkoden the night before Tanabata with alters laden with peaches, aubergines, abalone, needles of gold and silver and yarn of the five colours, as well as a koto and many others were left as offerings for Orihime to bless their women with better sewing skills. Over time, Kikkoden and Tanabata eventually merged to become the same holiday. 

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