[Childcare] Tanabata Trivia Compilation | Learn About the Festival

Okra

Okra is a vegetable that’s in season in summer. Because its cross-section looks like a star, it’s often added to somen noodles. It’s also rich in nutrients, so be sure to enjoy okra during the Tanabata season.

5 colors

The original strips came in five colors: blue, red, yellow, white, and black. In Japan, green used to be called “ao” (blue), so blue shifted to green, and black changed to purple, a color associated with nobility. It’s exciting to pick a strip in your favorite color and write down your wish, isn’t it?

weave on a loom

Orihime worked as a weaver serving the gods. Weaving means the work of making cloth.

sasa

On Tanabata, people hang tanzaku—small paper strips with their wishes written on them—on bamboo leaves. This is done with the hope that their wishes will reach the sky, to Orihime and Hikoboshi of the Milky Way.

Tanabata decorations

There are many types of Tanabata decorations, such as streamers and thousand paper cranes. Each decoration has its own meaning, so why not look into them?

bamboo grass

Because bamboo and sasa grow quickly, they have long been regarded as symbols of vitality. When their leaves sway, they make a lovely, rustling sound. Please take a moment to observe sasa.

Okra

Because the cross-sections are star-shaped, it seems common to add okra to somen noodles. Since okra is a summer vegetable, it’s a great idea to include it in your cooking to enjoy seasonal foods.