Star Festival called "Tanabata" is held on the evening of July 7. And decorated bamboo trees are displayed in Shiramine Shrine in the northwest of Kyoto Imperial Palace.
The main event of the day in the Shrine is a "Kemari" football game!
Kemari is an ancient ball kicking game played by the nobles in Heian period (794~1192).
Rule of Kemari involves kicking a ball by a group of players preventing it from touching the ground.
In Shiramine Shrine, Kemari is performed twice a year: April 14 and July 7.
The New Year ritual of Kemari Hajime (First Kemari of the Year) is performed in Shimogamo Shrine on January 4. The legendary three legged crow called "Yatagarasu" is enshrined in Shimogamo Shrine. Yatagarasu is also the symbol of Japan Football Association.
Ema is a small wooden plaque which you can obtain at shrines. People write their wish or prayer on the back of the Ema, and hang them in a special place in the shrine. Kemari is designed on the Ema of Shiramine Shrine, of course!
2 comments:
A popular Tanabata custom in Japan is to write wishes on a small piece of paper and hang them on a specially decorated bamboo tree in hope that the wish will come true. The bamboo tree is usually set afloat on a river or burned after the festival, around midnight or on the next day.
Hi Japan-Australia,
Thank you soooo much for your explanation about Tanabata custom!!!
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