Old Tanabata Decorations

Two packs of traditional  paper decorations for decorating bamboo for Tanabata Festival. I'll put some information about Tanabata below if you're not familiar with it.  These are original early - mid 20th century products.  I've opened one pack to take  the photos but it looks like the colours may vary in each pack.  

Price includes GST and regular  postage within  Australia

About Tanabata:

Tanabata is usually celebrated on  7th July but the traditional date was the 7th day of the 7th lunar month - so it is often held on the 7th August or other dates. Very briefly, it is based on the legend of the weaver star Shokujo (Veda) and cowherd star Kengyu (Altai) who meet across the Milky Way for their annual tryst on this day. Shokujo and Kengyu fell in love and Shokujo’s father the celestial king allowed them to marry. But they were so much in love that Shokujo neglected her weaving and Kengyu let his cows stray. The king was angry and forced them to stay on opposite sides of the Milky Way and only allowed them to meet once a year on Tanabata.

Tanabata originated in China as the Qixi festival and was introduced to Japan in 755. It is traditionally a festival for women to wish for improvement in their weaving, sewing and other arts and for men to wish for a good harvest . Tanabata customs vary across Japan but it is common to write a wish and hang it on a bamboo branch with other paper decorations.