What are your tanabata wishes?

One thing I love about life in Japan is the festivals or traditions that encourage you to wish for something good, like writing your prayers down on ema at shrines, or setting goals via a daruma doll. Tanabata is another example, and it's celebrated each year on July 7th (in most parts of Japan, at least -- there is some variation in different regions, with some events taking place in August). During Tanabata, people write their wishes on small papers called tanzaku and hang them on bamboo branches.

A recent survey of 200 adults in Japan revealed just how widespread this tradition is, with about 70 percent of respondents saying they've written a wish on a tanzaku before. Many of the respondents shared that they hoped for things like their family's health, success in love, or to pass important exams. Even more interestingly, around half of the people surveyed said that at least one of their wishes had actually come true, which is some good incentive to take part if there's something you're hoping for!

Even though most adults said they don’t plan to do anything special for Tanabata, many still spend the day quietly with family, which is likely what I'll be doing!

Are you attending any local Tanabata events this year?