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http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tanabata

Happy Tanabata Everyone~

Tanabata, also known as the "star festival", takes place on the 7th day of the 7th month of the year, when, according to a Chinese legend, the two stars Altair and Vega, which are usually separated from each other by the milky way, are able to meet. (Its a love story!)

Have you heard of this festival before? Usually people write a simple wish and tie it to bamboo trees. At elementary schools the classes are split up into groups and each group tries to make their bamboo tree look the best with tied wishes. No one really wins anything after the judging they just get the title of having the best looking tree.



*not an official holiday. No Japanese people got the day off for the sake of it being Tanabata.

O-Tanabata Omedetou Gozaimasu! [Happy Tanabata!]

Gahh! Double post, ignore this... stressed

I know the Chinese version of it and I''ll translate the best I can ^^

Altair was a poor boy who took care of cows. Vega was a high princess who originated from the heavens. Vega was the 7th daughter of the Highest God (I only know his name in Chinese). She was the most beautiful of them all. She felt lonely up in the heavens so decided to take a look down onto the land. When she looked down, Vega caught sight of a young boy. So she said to herself, "Why don''t I go down and take a walk where the people live?" She went down and caught sight of the same boy again.

"Why don''t I tease him a little?" she thought mischeviously. The boy was heading towards the landlord''s house in order to work for him. Altair''s family was very poor and this was the only way that he could support them. Vega stood in front of him, telling him that he couldn''t go to the landlord''s house and refusing to move out of his way.

"I don''t have time to play with you," Altair said to her, "I have work to do."

"Well, why don''t I go work with you?" she suggested.

"Why would you want to do that?" he asked.

"So I can help you, of course!" she answered cheerfully, "I''m not going to let you go unless I can come with you!" Altair sighed and agreed, taking her to the landlord''s house.

Once they got there, the landlord asked him why Altair had brought someone else. A girl couldn''t possibly do the hard work that was demanded of the young boy!

"You can try," the landlord said, "But here''s the deal. You have to spin me a million meters of the worlds most beautiful, softest, silkiest cloth! If you fail, then this boy will have to work for me for the next 3 years."

"If you can, complete it, then this boy can work for the next seven days and his family will be able to stay on the land, forever." The landlord was certain that this young girl could not possibly complete the task that he had asked of her. However, Vega agreed, telling Altair that it would not be a problem.

Vega, and her sisters'' name meant ''The Seamstress'' (at least, in Chinese it does ^^;; ). She called all her sisters down and they used clouds to spin the most beautiful cloth that ever existed. In one night, they had completed the task.

The landlord was baffled and a week later, Altair and Vega were free to go.

After they left, Vega told Altair that she was intent on marrying him. However, Altair was hesitant.

"I''m so poor and I have nothing to offer you, even if I did marry you." Vega smiled and shook her head.

"We''ll be together and that''s all that matters to me."

After they married, the two of them were incredibly happy. Vega stayed home, cooking and cleaning while Altair farmed the fields. One year on the earth was the equivalent of one day in the heavens. By the time they were married, Vega''s father had found that she was missing and sent the Heavenly Guards to find her.

They reported back with startling news. "Vega is already married to a mortal boy."

Her father was outraged! How could his most beautiful daughter marry a human boy?! He came to her and demanded that she return to the heavens. "If you don''t," he roared, "then I will have your human husband killed!"

By then, Vega had already become pregnant. She didn''t want the father of her child to be killed, so she left with her father. After she gave birth to her children, a pair of twins, she returned the children to their father to take care of while she returned to her original home.

From then on, on the seventh day of the seventh month of the year, the two lovers were able to meet; Altair carrying their children.

Wow, that took a lot longer than I thought ^^;; Hope you enjoyed the story!

((Note: I''m typing this while my mom is telling me the story in Chinese ^^;; There may be some places that I couldn''t properly translate and I apologize. I did my best!))

You're welcome ^^ This is only one version, by the way, but I think it's the most romantic one 3nodding heart

kool! this is a cool hoiliday. but i missed it... crying