This is a festival in which children and young women find much enjoyment. Fairylike in its fantasy is its legend: That on the eve of July 7 Shokujo, or Weaver Princess Star, is supposed to meet Kengyu or Herdboy Star, on the bank of the Amanogawa ("River of Heaven") or Milky Way, for their annual tryst. Vega is the Princess Star, Altair, the Herdboy Star in the constellation Aquilla. The legend back of this meeting is that the celestial princess, daughter of the celestial king, a most skilful weaver and the embodiment of industry, while engaged in weaving cloth for the king's garments, fell in love with a handsome lad, a cowherder, and as a reward for her diligent industry the king allowed them to marry. But so much in love were they that the princess gradually neglected her weaving and the herder allowed his cows to stray, which so exasperated the king that he finally separated the couple forcing them to remain on opposite sides of the Milky Way, and permitting them to approach each other only once a year.

But there is no bridge over the Milky Way and the princess, on her first visit, wept so bitterly at the impossibility of meeting her husband that she roused the sympathy of a kasasagi (magpie) who assured her that a bridge would be contrived for her. This was done, the magpies with wings spread forming a bridge on which the princess crossed. But, further says the legend, if the eve of July 7 is rainy the magpies will not form the bridge and the celestial lovers must wait another year before meeting.

The princess, as an accomplished weaver, receives on this day the supplications of those who wish to improve their own weaving, sewing, and their knowledge of the gentle arts: music, poetry, handwriting, etc., of which the princess later became the patron, and farmers ask the herder for bounteous harvests. The festival is observed in a spirit of joy. Bamboo trees are set up in front of the houses or before garden shrines and to their branches are hung poems on the love theme of the festival, also papers cut in the shape of kimono (as a tribute to the weaver princess), and to represent cows (for the herder), also threads of five colors: green, red, yellow, white, and black (or purple). Melons, peaches, egg-plant and other fruit and vegetables, cakes and sweet- meats are likewise offered. The next morning the bamboos are taken to a stream and are floated away on the current.

[After entry in We Japanese, Book I, 1934, Yamagata Press, Yokohama]

Moon-viewing

This celebration is observed by the Yuki Teikei Haiku Society during the full moon in September or October.  A pot-luck dinner is followed by observation of the moon, and haiku writing and reading.