There is a Love Story behind the festival. The legend tells about a cowherd Hikoboshi and a weaving girl Orihime who leaved in different sides of the heaven Amanogawa River (Milky Way). Once met they were so fascinated by each other that they neglected their work. This angered Tentei, the God of the sky and he separated two lovers across the Amanogawa River. They were obliged to work hard and allowed to meet each other only once a year on the 7th day of the 7th lunar month of the Lunisolar calendar.  But even then Hikoboshi and Orihime could not embrace each other as there was no bridge through Amanogawa River. Orihime cried so much that the birds herd her cry and came to make a bridge through the river with their wings, but when it rains birds can not come and the lovers can only contemplate each other and dream to unify next year.  

Actual astronomic phenomenon  called “the Summer Triangle“, it is formed by three 1st-magnitude stars Vega, Alter, and Deneb. The Summer Triangle is a big formation and it can be easily observed in mid-northern latitudes (40°N).

Since Tanabata celebrates stars’

meeting, the main activities are held at night. The most famous outdoor celebration takes place in the city of Sendai (north of Tokyo). During the festivals the streets are decorated with colorful paper streamers, people write their wishes on the little slips of star-spangled paper which are often made by children and serves as a decoration. Celebration of the festival varies in different areas of Japan, in some places the bamboo decorations are set afloat on the river or burned at midnight. Tanabata may also be linked to the O-bon season – Buddhist festival at which the spirit of the departed are welcomed back for feasting to their former homes; buddhist may spent the Tanabata cleaning tombstones of their ancestors and Buddhist house altars.