The Nikkei Japanese Association is holding the Tanabata Festival this weekend, during which wishes are “sent” to the stars in the hope that Tentei, the god of Heaven, will grant them.
The Tanabata Festival takes place on July 11th and 12th in the Japanese garden of Tangamanga Park I, organized by the Nikkei Japanese Association. During the festival, workshops, exhibitions, and food vendors will be present.
Among the workshops are one on Japanese calligraphy, another on origami, as well as a kendo demonstration on Saturday, and karate demonstrations on Saturday and Sunday. Food, drinks, and Japanese sweets are available for purchase at the garden entrance.
The main attraction of the festival is the placement of wishes on bamboo poles so that they reach the stars, hoping that the god of Heaven will grant them.
The legend that gave rise to this festival tells of Orihime, a princess and daughter of Tentei, who dedicated her life solely to weaving alone, which led her father to seek a partner for her. He introduced her to Hikoboshi, a hardworking shepherd, and upon meeting, they fell in love. So great was their fascination with each other that they neglected their duties.
This angered Tentei, who condemned them to be separated and transformed them into the stars Vega and Altair, placing one on each side of the Milky Way. Orihime begged for forgiveness, and Tentei granted them the right to meet on the seventh day of the seventh month. To allow them to cross, a flock of cranes joined their wings and promised to return every year to help them, provided it did not rain.
Thus, during July, the stars Vega and Altair can be seen in the sky with the naked eye. Knowing of the mercy of the Sky God, people take advantage of this occasion to write wishes on a special cloth, which they then place on bamboo branches, as it is said that these grow so tall they reach the stars.
Potosinos who visited the Japanese garden this Saturday were able to participate in the activity and left their wishes written on paper, from having their own room to being able to visit the place again, although the most frequent wish was for health.
Source: oem
