When I was little, my mother would always remind me that you knew it was her and my father’s wedding anniversary when the tiger lilies would be in bloom. They only bloomed in one place in my home town, along the train tracks, and they soon became my favourite flower because of the vibrant colour with the gorgeous black markings, and the emotional ties to them. (I also love daisies, for those wondering. :P)
When I moved to Japan, I found an even better way to remember my parents wedding anniversary. They were married on July 7th. In Korea, that day is called Chilseok. In Japan, it’s Tanabata. In China, it’s Qixi. And no matter what Asian country I’m in, it is my most favourite holiday in the entire calendar.
I came to know the story of Orihime and Hikoboshi first. If you look at the sky on a clear night, these two can be seen as the stars Vega and Altair. In Korea, they are known as Jiknyeo and Gyeonu, and in China, they are Zhinü and Niu Lang.
The story goes that Orihime was the daughter of Tentei, the king of the heavens, and she was a talented weaver. She could weave the most beautiful fabrics and cloaks, and would do so for her father. Because she was so busy though with her work, Orihime could never meet someone and fall in love. Worrying for her daughter, Tentei allowed Orihime to meet Hikoboshi, a cow herder who lived on the other side of the river. The two instantly fell in love and married.
Orihime and Hikoboshi were so in love, nothing else seemed to matter to them. Orihime stopped weaving, and Hikoboshi didn’t take proper care of his herd, so his cows roamed all over the land and damaged other fields. In anger, Tentei split the two, separating them with the Amanogawa (Heavenly River, aka the Milky Way). Orihime was heart broken, and she cried and cried and cried. Tentei felt pity for his daughter, so he made an agreement. If she did her weaving and continued to work, and if Hikoboshi took care of his herd, he would allow the two to meet for one day, on the seventh day of the seventh month.
The two worked hard, and when July 7th came, Orihime and Hikoboshi found themselves on the other side of the river, only to realize there was no bridge. Orihime sobbed, until all the magpies and crows in the sky came and promised that they would come each year to make a bridge for the two lovers to reunite for that one day.
I love this story for so many reasons. Asia goes through a terrible rainy season in May and June, so the story of the princess and the cow herder is a beautiful way to explain it. After the rainy season, many of the birds malt their feathers, which is supposed to be because of the couple walking on them as they crossed to the other side. After the 7th, rainy season is often over in Korea (and has been over for a week or two in Japan). When the rains are over, it means the two lovers have been able to meet, and the summer can begin.
Every year, I tell my mother the story of the princess and the cow herder, and every year, she loves it just the same, because the most romantic holiday in traditional Asian culture is the same as her anniversary. This year, I went on to explain that the custom in Japan is to write your wish on a piece of paper, and tie it to a bamboo plant. Since I have a bamboo plant back home that my mom takes care of, she decided to try it out this year too. I love sharing the culture of my new homes with my family.
If you’re wanting to celebrate Tanabata, Chilseok or Qixi, you’re still in luck. While July 7th may have already passed in the solar calendar, the seventh day of the seventh month on the lunar calendar is also used, which lands a few weeks later. (You can check the Chinese lunar calendar here and just look for “Double Seven Holiday”)