ONCE upon a time in ancient Japan . . .
there lived a beautiful weaver Princess, who instantly fell in love, at first sight, when she met a handsome Shepherd lad. Soon after, being so enraptured with each other, the Princess began shirking her duties and this angered the Emperor and the ancient Gods - they disapproved of their love affair. As punishment, the two young lovers were separated and transformed forevermore into two stars in the heavens, at opposite ends of the galaxy. Further, it was decreed that the only way they could ever meet was by daring to cross the immense river of stars, provided the skies were crystal clear allowing them to pass, but only once a year, on July 7th.
The young lad became known as the "Altair" star, the furthest to the east and the maiden's star was called, "Vega," the furthest star to the west. The wide river of stars that flowed between them, preventing them from meeting is called the "Amanogawa" River, in Japanese or we know it as the Milky Way. It has been said that the first year the Princess wept so passionately for her love that the Gods took pity upon her and commanded a flock of white doves, with outstretched wings, to form a bridge over the river, allowing the two lovers to meet, on that night.
Henceforth, this ancient legend was named, the Tanabata Star Legend and it gave birth to the Tanabata Star Festival ~ "TANABATA DAY," in
Celebrated since ancient times, in every small village and large city, all over
TANABATA - "Green Tea Therapy" Specialists
E-MAIL tanabatagreentea@sympatico.ca TEL (1)-519-803-1406
THE TANABATA STAR LEGEND
July 7th
Albert Einstein said, "all obstacles in life are just opportunities waiting to be discovered and the greatest opportunity of all is LOVE."
The hostess takes great care and precision is serving her guests in the ancient "Way of Tea," called "Cha no yu," which includes a special Japanese, hand-made sweet, followed by an aromatic, creamy, whipped, vibrant green, deliciously robust-tasting and truly comforting bowl of Matcha green tea, which is sipped from a beautiful, hand-crafted, ceramic tea bowl. Peacefulness, a sense of harmony, community, culture, art, spirituality and appreciation of nature are richly felt on this day. It is a truly special experience and an unforgettable opportunity!
In stellar astronomy, Vega and Altair are both part of the "Summer Triangle" of stars, which also includes a more distant star, called Deneb. It's only in July and August that you can see this formation of stars, in the sky. Vega and Altair are divided by a broad, milky band, consisting of billions of tiny stars and star light vapour, known to us as the Milky Way. Vega, a younger star than Altair, is a sparkling blue star, which appears larger, because it's closer to the earth. Altair appears smaller and slightly dimmer, from a greater distance and yet it is actually much larger. They each possess their own individual characteristics and charms to both astronomy aficionados and simple star gazers, like you and me.
Just as the popular Tanabata Star Legend tells us, once a year, on that singular night - July 7th, Vega and Altair can meet, if the conditions in the heavens are right. We can witness their romantic, magical union in the cosmos, once they perfectly come into alignment, in the sky. In a tiny, almost unnoticeable flash of light, they twinkle to each other and are one! This is a spectacular vision to experience, captured under a powerful telescope, but on rare occasions, it has been observed with the naked eye, if atmospheric conditions are near perfect.
This joyful legend of timeless love inspired the birth of TANABATA COMPANY – “Green Tea Therapy” Specialists and The Art of Japanese Green Tea, in Canada reflecting our ancient Japanese origins and Canadian compliment, our unique East West connection, our enduring conviction for all that is good, healthful and magical in life, transcending all physical, temporal, cultural and religious barriers. Let this wonderfully passionate legend and its enduring spirit, which gave rise to Tanabata Company, reassure you that true love is indeed possible and that one must NEVER GIVE UP HOPE. Love may be just around the corner or found in the most unexpected place. Love can exist and even flourish, in spite of seemingly insurmountable obstacles and it’s purest from - a gift.
It is our hope that when you make your wish upon a star, that you'll open your heart, wish with all your might and BELIEVE that your dreams really can come true . . . all things are possible with LOVE.
So remember, as you gaze up into the stars tonight, July 7th, if the skies are crystal clear, you may just catch a glimpse of Vega in all her blue radiance, twinkling brightly at her beloved Altair, beckoning him forth, once again. Go ahead, look up, look way up to the stars and make a wish . . . If you don’t try, you’ll never know and who knows, your wish may come true – ours did.
