Thursday, July 7, 2011

What do you wish upon a star [Star Festival]

Today, 7th of July is Star festival (link) in Japan

We write our wishes on strip of paper (tannzaku) and tie them to the bamboo branches. Quote from the link "Traditionally people wish for improved technical skills and abilities in homage to the legend of Hikoboshi and Orihime".
I have no talent in the field of art and handcraft, so I'll wish for improvement of my  English listening skill. What would you wish upon a star?

Tomorrow, my aunt will visit my parents' house (where no one lives there) to offer early OBON prayer for my brother who passed away last year.  Hope "the milky way" help bring him back to greet her.

5 comments:

  1. Hi Orchid, Wanted you to know I did not forget you. Lots of things have been going on lately so I have not been blogging (until yesterday) and not visiting. Monday my hubby is having total knee replacement surgery and then it will take time to heal and learn to use the new knee so.....I may be blogging a lot less for awhile. Wanted you to know I think of you often even when I don't visit. The Star Festival is a lovely celebration. I wish that my hubby will have come thru his surgery excellent and have very good results with his new knee. I also wish PEACE in the world. Can I put two wishes on the bamboo tree? Have a beautiful week my new friend and I have not forgotten you.

    ReplyDelete
  2. Hello Orchid, we haven't visited in awhile, hope you have been well. This is beautiful about the wish upon a star. My only wish is for good health for everyone in my family and also my friends that includes my blogging friends.
    Have a safe week.
    Your friend...Lu

    ReplyDelete
  3. What a lovely tradition Orchid! I might have to introduce this to my family...thanks for sharing!

    Wishing you lots of love and speedy recovery of your motherland!
    Hugs~

    ReplyDelete
  4. This is such a lovely custom. I think I would wish for people to have more love and acceptance with one another.

    And then I would wish that your blog would behave and work properly. ;-) See you soon, sweet Orchid.

    ReplyDelete
  5. Dearest Orchid,

    Interesting post and I do know about it as we were at that time in Japan in 2007. The reason that I did come home one day earlier, due to the typhoon and hundreds of flights cancelled already. If I had not pushed to get my minors out a day ahead we would have been stuck as it was the weekend of the OBON festival and also a Marine festival with lots of Japanese from Hawaii and the mainland USA. They all needed to fly back... We were fortunate and at that time the Tsunami was only a small one. One can never know in advance though!

    Lots of love,

    Mariette

    ReplyDelete