Often translated into English as the “Star Festival”, Tanabata celebrates the annual meeting of the stars Vega and Altair, believed to be separated lovers who are permitted by the gods to meet only once a year.
People celebrate this festival by writing wishes on small coloured pieces of paper and tying them to bamboo plants. Some of the more common wishes are “I wish to pass my university entrance exams” and “I wish for a boyfriend”, although I have seen a couple along the lines of “I wish for a new Playstation” so I guess the gods don’t mind if your wish is more down to earth.
Calligraphy by Vicky 
One thought on “七夕 (Tanabata) The Japanese star festival”