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Philadelphians gathered at the Shofuso house in West Fairmount Park on Saturday to celebrate Tanabata, a Japanese holiday that commemorates the story of two stars, Vega and Altair.
Guests toured the historic house, participated in origami crafts and watched traditional Japanese performances and listened to storytellers.
Visitors tour the historic Shofuso facility, peering over the pond to admire koi fish. (Vida Lashgari/WHYY)
Tanabata is celebrated on the seventh day of the seventh lunar month. A common custom is to write wishes on small pieces of colored paper called tanzaku and hang them on bamboo trees.
Candice Graham, 38, a Philadelphia resident, said she began working at the Shofuso house in 2017 because she “always had an interest in Japanese culture.”
She said that the Tanabata celebration is one of her favorites, despite being a smaller event that the facility hosts.
“It’s just really colorful and people get to write their hopes and wishes and dreams down,” Graham said. “I just think that’s something that’s something very sweet.”
A woman hangs her written wishes on the trees, a practice of the Tanabata holiday. (Vida Lashgari/WHYY)
As part of the festivities, visitors watched Casual Fifth, a taiko drumming and dance ensemble of five performers.
Akiira Di Sandro, 26, of Philadelphia, began playing taiko in college before joining the organization in 2020.
“A lot of folk festivals have taiko as a way to get people moving and make it a cheerful thing,” Di Sandro said.
AloJapan.com