For many years, the California group of the YTHS has planned to assemble
on a weekend near to July 7th to celebrate Tanabata, the Star Festival.
Kiyoko introduced us to this Japanese celebration.
The ideal location is where is gets dark enough
to see the Milky Way well, and see if one can pick out the bright stars:
Vega and Altair, who represent lovers separated by a cruel monarch's
diktat that they could only be together one day a year.
During the celebration, we write haiku on slips of paper called tanzaku,
or on paper kimonos, as pictured.
These poem-papers then are hung on bamboo shoots.
Sometimes, someone brings the bamboo, as we did here.
As we prepare for the reunion of the lovers this week, this blog
will feature photos and poems from past Tanabata celebrations.
as evening deepens
the insect chorus begins
--star festival
june hopper hymas
Note: please accept my apologies
for the month's pause in this blog.
I am returning with renewed
determination. jhh
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