Tanabata

On July 7th, we celebrated the Japanese holiday of Tanabata. This holiday is based on a story about lovers (a women angel and a mortal man) who suffered the wrath of the Gods, so they were turned into stars and only allowed to meet once a year. Anyways, on this day you are supposed to write your wishes on pieces of paper and tie them to a bamboo tree.

We mulled over options. Tie wishes to tree in the backyard? Tie wishes to weeds growing in flower pots on wasp-infested porch? None of these options worked for Katsu, our own Japanese guru.

So, while Katsu was at work, Andrew and I went to the park and then walked over to the local flower shop. They had a cute little bamboo plant. So, I bought it and then balanced it on the stroller valence as we walked up the hill home in the muggy icky weather.

Katsu loved it! We wrote our wishes. And we even found the song to sing in our nifty Japanese children's songbook that the Funais gave us.

Maybe this will make us for forgetting Boy's Day this year.