Editing Tanabata (section)

== Customs ==

[[file:七夕 (19545533256).jpg|thumb|right|Tanzaku hanging on bamboo]]

In present-day Japan, people generally celebrate this day by writing wishes, sometimes in the form of poetry, on {{Nihongo|''tanzaku''|[[wiktionary:短冊|短冊]]|tanzaku}}, small pieces of paper, and hanging them on [[bamboo]], sometimes with other decorations (see also [[Wish Tree]]). The bamboo and decorations are often set afloat on a river or burned after the festival, around midnight or on the next day.<ref>{{cite web
| url         = http://gojapan.about.com/cs/japanesefestivals/a/tanabata.htm
| title       = Japanese Tanabata Festival
| last        = Mishima
| first       = Shizuko
| publisher   = About.com
| access-date = 6 July 2011
}}</ref> This is analogous to the custom of floating paper ships and candles on rivers during Obon. Many areas in Japan have their own Tanabata customs, which are mostly related to local [[Obon]] traditions. There is also a traditional Tanabata song:<ref>{{cite web
| url         = http://web.mit.edu/jpnet/holidays/Jul/song-tanabata.shtml
| title       = MIT Japanese "culture-notes" – Song-Tanabata, July
| date        = 5 March 2002
| work        = Japanese Language and Culture Network
| publisher   = Massachusetts Institute of Technology
| access-date = 6 July 2011
}}</ref>

{|
!Simple<ref name=ts>[http://www13.big.or.jp/~sparrow/MIDI-tanabatasama.html Tanabata-sama]</ref>
!Poetic<ref name=ts/>
!Transliteration
!Translation
|- style="vertical-align: top;"
| lang="ja" | <poem>ささのは　さらさら
のきばに　ゆれる
お星さま　きらきら
きんぎん　すなご
ごしきの　たんざく
わたしが　かいた
お星さま　きらきら
空から　　見てる</poem>
| lang="ja" style="padding-left: 2em" | <poem>笹の葉　さらさら
軒端に　揺れる
お星様　きらきら
金銀　砂子
五色の　短冊
私が　書いた
お星様　きらきら
空から　　見てる</poem>
| lang="ja-Latn" style="padding-left: 2em; font-style: italic" | <poem>Sasa no ha<!--This is "ha" (葉/leaf) - not the particle "wa" --> sara-sara
Nokiba ni yureru
Ohoshi-sama kira-kira
Kingin sunago
Goshiki no tanzaku
watashi ga kaita
Ohoshi-sama kirakira
sora kara miteru</poem>
|style="padding-left: 2em" | <poem>The bamboo leaves rustle,
And sway under the eaves.
The stars twinkle
Like gold and silver grains of sand.
The five-color paper strips
I have written them.
The stars twinkle,
Watching from above.</poem>
|}