七夕 (Tanabata)

Tanabata, the Star Festival, is celebrated on July 7 in much of Japan, though some well-known festivals are held in August according to the old lunar calendar. It marks the yearly meeting of Orihime and Hikoboshi, the stars Vega and Altair, who are said to cross the Amanogawa, the Milky Way. The most familiar custom is writing wishes on narrow paper strips called tanzaku and tying them to bamboo branches. Schools, homes, shopping arcades, train stations, and community centers often set up bamboo displays. During the day, children and adults write wishes, add paper ornaments, and stop to read the colorful strips already hanging.

Public celebrations vary by place. Sendai’s famous Tanabata Matsuri, held from August 6 to 8, fills central shopping streets with huge streamers called fukinagashi, while the Shonan Hiratsuka Tanabata Matsuri in Kanagawa, usually in early July, is known for dense street decorations and festival stalls. At home and in school lunches, somen noodles are a common seasonal food for Tanabata because their thin white strands evoke the Milky Way. Wishes often mention exam success, better handwriting, sports, music, health, or love. On the day, people commonly talk about what they wrote on their tanzaku or comment on the decorations rather than using a special fixed holiday greeting.

The pack has 36 words spread across these domains.