Tanabata 2022: Google Doodle celebrates Japanese Star Festival

Google Doodle celebrates Tanabata (たなばた or 七夕, signifying “Evening of the seventh”), otherwise called the Star Festival (星祭り, Hoshi matsuri), is a Japanese festival beginning from the Chinese Qixi Festival, on July 7, 2022.

The Tanabata celebration, otherwise called the Star Festival or Hoshi Matsuri, is a traditional summertime celebration in Japan. Tanabata signifies the “evening of the seventh,” however the celebrations can happen on several days at times beginning as soon as July 7 and as late as the finish of August. The specific date differs by region, depending on which schedule is being followed, the Georgian or lunar calendar.

The Tanabata story began with a Chinese legend called Qixi. However the subtleties of how this celebration is celebrated vary a bit across the country, they all feature colorful decorations, have rich origins, and honor a legend around two lovers.

It celebrates the meeting of the gods Orihime and Hikoboshi (represented by the stars Vega and Altair respectively). As indicated by legend, the Milky Way isolates these sweethearts, and they are permitted to meet just once a year on the seventh day of the seventh lunar month of the lunisolar calendar. The date of Tanabata differs by region of the country, yet the first celebrations start on 7 July of the Gregorian calendar. The festival is held on different days between July and August.

The celebration was acquainted with Japan by Empress Kōken in 755. It began with “The Festival to Plead for Skills” (乞巧奠, Kikkōden), an elective name for Qixi: 9 which is celebrated in China and was taken on in the Kyoto Imperial Palace from the Heian period.

As per legend, every July 7 the weaver star and cow herder star cross the Milky Way to reestablish their antiquated bond of love. In Japan, the lovers are celebrated with lively decorations and wishes composed on lengthy, narrow strips of colored paper. Noticed all through the country, numerous cities, including Sendai for Miyagi Prefecture, have become popular for hosting elaborate festivals.

In this story, Orihime is a celestial princess who winds around gorgeous pieces of clothing for her formidable father — The Sky King. One day she meets a cowherd named Hikoboshi and they fall in love. As Orihime spends more time with her sweetheart, she quits weaving for her dad. This disturbs the Sky King, who considers the relationship to be an interruption. Overlooking his daughter’s wishes, he exiles Hikoboshi to the opposite side of the galaxy.

When a year during Tanabata a flock of magpies flies across the universe. The glowing birds form a bridge for Hikoboshi and Orihime to cross and see one another. In any case, poor weather conditions can keep the magpies from arriving at the finish of the galaxy.

That is the reason individuals across Japan wish for clear skies each Tanabata so that the ill-fated lovers will not need to wait one more year to meet. It is standard for individuals to compose their wishes on a colorful strip of paper (tanzaku).

Tanabata, or the star festival, is seen on July 7. As the date approaches, long, narrow strips of colorful paper known as tanzaku, vibrant ornaments, and different decorations are hung from bamboo branches, jazzing up the decor of homes as well as lighting up shopping arcades, and train stations, and other public spaces. Before they are hung, tanzaku are inscribed with a wish, like a kid’s child’s dream of becoming a famous soccer player or a parent’s hope for career achievement.

The Tanabata celebration depends on a legend around two lovers represented by the stars Altair and Vega. The stellar story starts with two “star-crossed lovers” who are simply permitted to meet one time per year.

Tanabata is one of Japan’s five traditional seasonal celebrations, or gosekku, starting in China and first observed in Japan by the old imperial court. The stellar holiday fixates on the stars Vega and Altair in the constellations Lyra and Aquila, respectively. Following the old Chinese lunar calendar, the celebration denotes the once-yearly meeting of Orihime (Vega), the weaver star and patron of silk farming, and Hikoboshi (Altair), the cowherd star and agricultural messenger.

On July 7, 2022, Google featured a Doodle on its home page for celebrating Tanabata 2022.

Today’s Google Doodle honors Tanabata (七夕), a Japanese festival celebrating the immortal story of two star-crossed lovers named Orihime and Hikoboshi. As the legend goes, the couple can reunite in the Milky Way on this day every year.

As illustrated in the present Google Doodle artwork, individuals observe Tanabata by partaking in the wonderful, cascading garlands that hang all through Japan.