Tanabata 2023

Happy Tanabata, everyone! Tanabata, or the star festival, occurs every year on July 7th. If where you live is anywhere like here, there are bamboo branches at the nursery schools, kindergartens, supermarkets, shopping malls, and even the smaller local train stations, and all of them are crowded with wishes.

What is there to wish for in 2023? There are all the usual nice stalwarts regarding health and happiness. My personal wish is health-related: I have a tooth problem that has been plaguing me since last autumn and has not fully resolved, despite numerous visits to the dentist. This year, I would like That Tooth to finally be fine.

You could also wish for a resolution to your pick of the problems plaguing the world now. Or, maybe, like my children, there’s a really specific thing you want and your Tanabata wish is an extension of a birthday or Christmas wish list. 

Whatever you want this Tanabata, I hope you have a lovely day and your wishes come true! 

There’s more about the story behind Tanabata here and this lovely picture book  is great for telling the story and sharing some common festival traditions too.