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Tanabata
Tanabata is celebrated July 7. Traditionally,
this festival is especially popular with young girls for the romantic
theme of the story behind it. It is the Chinese legend of the parted
lovers, the Weaver and Cowherd Star, or Vega and Altair.
Chih-nii, the Heavenly Spinster, with the Cow-herd are told of in one of the
famous myths of Chinese folklore. It was brought to Japan under Empress
Koken's reign. The festival of Tanabata (seventh evening) was founded on it. Of
the seventh moon, on the seventh evening, Tanabata is celebrated.
Chih-nii had the duty of weaving robes for the August Personage of Jade. She
was married to the Heavenly Cow-herd by her father because he did not want to
see her alone any longer, and to reward her hard work. The August Personage of
Jade became so angry that Chih-nii had paid more attention to her marriage than
her duty to him that as punishment the couple were banished to opposite sides of
the Milky Way, allowed to meet only once each year.
During perhaps the Heian Era (794-1185) this tale was imported to Japan from
China. The Japanese names for the two stars are Kengyuu Boshi (Puller of Cows
Star) and Orihime Boshi (Weaving Princess Star).
The following concerning Tanabata is from the site Orihime, Kengyuu, and
Tanabata by Renshaw and Ihara: "Tanabata may be translated as 'weaving of the
loom (bata) placed on the shelf (tana),' and the festival celebrates improvement of
technical skill and ability... In modern celebrations of Tanabata, people throughout
Japan write wishes to the kami (deity) Orihime on colorful strips of paper. On the
evening of Tanabata, they tie these paper wishes to freshly cut bamboo. Wishes
may be for increased skills in work or school but may also be for anything that
reflects a person's dreams and hopes for the future. Summer vegetables such as
eggplant and cucumbers are prepared, and horse or cow figures made out of straw
and water oats are decorated...
Following Shinto practice and ancient values, the concept of purification
(generally including use of water) before the Bon festival (centered on the 15th day
of the 7th month) was also added to the Tanabata festival. Before the legend was
brought from China, a ritualistic festival had been held to welcome the water kami
at this time of year; infusion of the legend of Orihime and Kengyuu added a motif
of the ritual celebration of the marriage of a weaving lady and the water god."
In Sailor Moon, this story is found in Chibi Usa's picture diary from Volume 10 of the manga. And Yuri from Wedding Peach
has her birthday on Tanabata. In ep. 5 of Magical Emi, Mai as Emi plays the part of Orihime in a production for Tanabata. As wishes are sent to Orihime,
the symbolism extends to Emi and her role as both a beloved idol and a magical girl, that she is like Orihime in her magic and gift to reach
into hearts to fulfill dreams and wishes.