2020-07-07 Tue

Summer in Japan is a festival season. There’s no lack of opportunities to celebrate, the Japanese way. But there's one festival that is especially wonderful and magical: the Tanabata Festival. Tanabata: also known as the "star festival” takes place on the 7th day of the 7th month of the year when, the two stars Altair and Vega, which are usually separated from each other by the milky way, are able to meet.

The festival is celebrated in Japan since 755 and thus has a long and rich tradition within the Japanese calendar. Originally Chinese, The tradition was picked up by Empress Koken, the 46th monarch of Japan, who introduced the festival's lore and traditions to Japan. One popular Tanabata custom is to write one's wishes on a piece of paper and hang that piece of paper on a specially erected bamboo tree, in the hope that the wishes become true.

Nippon Post issued a 50 Japanese yen stamp in the year 2008. The stamp is designed like a colorful pestle drawing. The stamp depicts a young boy and a girl with lanterns in the sky.

Visit philamart to view and purchase variety of stamps from all over the world.

Image Courtesy: Colnect.com