Tanabata, the Star Festival, is celebrated on July 7th around Japan, including at our school. The romantic story behind the celebration says that this is the one day a year that a certain pair of lovers can meet.
It was a festive time for the students, as they made decorations and listened to the teachers explain the origins of the legend. Of course, the most effort was put into creating the small pieces of paper that would hold their wishes.
The beginner students had trouble writing their desires with their limited Japanese, but did their best with the help of their teachers and dictionaries. There were students who wrote everything in one kanji character, but there were also others who used as many as five small letters!
The most common wish was for the happiness of relatives, and the day was filled with thoughts of far-away families.
I hope everyone’s wishes come true!