[Tanabata Quiz] Three-choice questions to enjoy trivia and fun facts

Altair

The final corner that forms the Summer Triangle is Altair. Altair is the alpha star of Aquila and is one of the stars that appears very bright in the summer night sky. The Weaver Star is Vega in the constellation Lyra, and the Cowherd Star, Hikoboshi, refers to Altair in the constellation Aquila.

somen (thin Japanese wheat noodles)

The traditional food said to be eaten on Tanabata is somen noodles. This custom is believed to originate from likening the slender shape of somen to the image of Orihime weaving at her loom. In addition, somen is popular as a summer festive dish because its delicate, smooth texture makes it easy to eat during the coming hot season.

Because it was used for Shinto rituals.

The custom of decorating with bamboo grass during Tanabata originates from its use in Shinto rituals. Because bamboo leaves grow in a way that keeps them from moving, they came to be seen as symbols of purification that ward off impurity, and were used to sanctify sacred spaces. On the night of Tanabata, people began attaching paper strips and ornaments to bamboo leaves with wishes that Orihime and Hikoboshi would safely cross the Milky Way to meet, and that people’s own wishes would be conveyed.

August 6–August 8

The Sendai Tanabata Festival is held every year from August 6 to August 8. It originally took place on the 7th day of the 7th month of the lunar calendar, but nowadays it is often held in August according to the Gregorian calendar, and the Sendai Tanabata in particular is known for being celebrated on a grand scale during this period.

cow

In the Tanabata legend, Hikoboshi is said to work as a cowherd on the eastern side of the Milky Way, raising cattle. As another name for Altair, he is also called the Cowherd Star (Kengyūsei), and the story was devised based on a tale passed down in China.

To emulate the weaving skills of the Weaver Princess (Orihime)

The reason people write their wishes on tanzaku, a custom of Tanabata, is linked to the legend in which Orihime is an exceptionally skilled weaver. Hoping that their own skills will improve and their wishes will come true like Orihime’s, people began writing their wishes on tanzaku.

So that I get better at sewing

The decoration hung to wish for improvement in sewing is the streamers. Why sewing? Because the streamers symbolize Orihime, who is said to be skilled at sewing. In the past, they would prepare five-colored threads, thread them through a needle, and display them.