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Festivals in Scandinavia and Asia are completely different.

Usually if the word ‘festival’ is mentioned here in Denmark, the first word that comes to mind is “music”. That has a great deal to do with the fact that the only ‘festivals’ we have are ‘Roskilde Festival’, ‘Langelands Festival’ etc., which are all related to music and hardly anything else.

In Asia however, festivals are often bound by traditions, old folklore and religion. Festivals in Asia are not just about music, but about cleansing, celebration, thankfulness and tradition. It’s so much more than what we think of festivals. We are not a nation of festivals or national holidays. At least not in the degree that China is, and especially not Japan. For Japan and China honor, family, tradition and ceremonies are a big part of their culture. That is why I’ve decided to do a series of articles to enlighten you on the various festivals in Japan and China.

There will sadly (for some) be more articles about Japanese festivals and national holidays, because they simple have more festivals and holidays, but that is not to say that China doesn’t have any in comparison. In Japan festivals are celebrated with yukata(a light kimono), lanterns, food stands, games, fireworks, and rituals, as you will learn more about.

The Chinese way of celebration is not much different from the Japanese, where family is something that can be added to the above standing list, except perhaps the origin and reason for why you celebrate.

Many Chinese holidays are associated with mythology and folklores, but they are also believed to derive from ancient farmer rituals for celebrating harvests or prayer offerings. The most important holiday in China is the ‘Chinese New year’. As always, it is very important to remember that most of the Japanese culture and history came from China, and has slowly been adapted into the Japanese way of life. An example of this is July 7th, also known in Japan as ‘Tanabata’ meaning the Evening of the Seventh(known as That Tich in Vietnam and Chilseok in Korea).

This particular star festival is derived from the Chinese festival Qi Xi, Night of Sevens. In recent time this festival has been referred to as the Chinese Valentine’s Day, because of the folklore behind the festival. As with everything borrowed from China, the Japanese has found a way to adapt and alter the tale of Tanabata.

There are different variations of the story of ‘Cow herder and Weaver Girl‘, and I will not list them all. I will, however, be giving you a general outline of the folklore according to the Chinese, original legend, and briefly outline the Japanese version:

Cow herder and Weaver Girl

A young cow herder named Niulang (literally “the cow herder”, the star Altair) happens to come across seven fairy sisters bathing in a lake. His mischievous companion, the cow, encourages the Niulang to steal their clothes and wait to see what happens. The eldest of the seven sisters, Zhinü, (the weaver girl, also known as the star Vega) goes to retrieve their clothes, but as Niulang has now seen her naked (kind of hard not to, I imagine) she must now agree to his request for marriage. They have two children and live happily, but the Goddess of Heaven is furious that a mere mortal has married one of the fairy sisters and orders Zhinü to return to heaven. Down on earth Niulang is upset that his wife is gone.

But his cow talks to Niulang, stating he has solution to Niulang’s problem. If Niulang kills the cow and puts on his hide, he will be able to go up to heaven and find his wife. Although saddened greatly by the prospect of losing his friend and companion, Niulang does as the cow suggest, takes his two children with him and goes off to heaven.

The Goddess of Heaven, seething with rages, takes out her hairpin and scratches a wide river in the sky in order to separate the two lovers forever (thus forming the Milky Way between Altair and Vega.)

Zhinü must forever side on one side of the river, sadly weaving her loom as Niulang watches her from afar and takes care of their children.

But once a year all of the magpies(black and white birds) in the world takes pity on the two lovers and fly up into heaven to form a bridge.

In the Chinese version it is said that if it rains on the seventh night of the seventh moon it is the tears of the two lovers, crying at the misery of their life.

Now the Japanese tale is slightly different, but the tragedy and happiness of the lovers’ story remains the same.

In the Japanese version, there was once a weaver princess called Orihime and a cow herder named Hikoboshi living beyond the Milky Way. The princess’ father and king decided that Hikoboshi was a good candidate as his daughter’s husband. But after the two of them met each other, they fell so much in love that they forgot their jobs and played all the time. The king was angry with them and separated them on opposite sides of the river. But when the king saw how much grief his daughter felt, he made a deal with the couple. The King allowed them to meet only once a year on July 7th.

Tanabata is also known as the ‘Star Festival’, because of the positions of the stars (also seen in the Chinese tale) and the Milky Way. Some Japanese believe if it rains on July 7th, Orihime and Hikoboshi cannot meet each other and therefore they pray, not only for good weather, but for good luck to themselves.

In Japan you celebrate this particular day by writing your wish on colorful, small strips of paper, and hang them on bamboo branches. The way of celebration is determined by the region. Different regions have different ways of celebrating just like countries have different ways of celebrating the same thing. Some regions in Japan light lanterns and float them down the river, where others float bamboo leaves on the river.

Here is a list of Chinese/ Japanese National Holidays and Traditional Festivals (not all of them mind you*):

China

• Chinese New Year’s Eve
• Chinese New Year also known as Spring Festival
• Lantern Festival
• Zhonghe Festival/Blue Dragon Festival)
• Shangsi Festival/traditional Chinese Women’s Day
• Qing Ming Jie/Tomb Sweeping Day/Mourning Day
• Dragon Boat Festival
• (Bathing and basking festival)
• The Night of the Sevens/Qi Xi
• Spirit Festival/Ghost Festival
• Mid-autumn Festival/Moon Festival
• Double Ninth Festival
• Spirit Festival/ Water Lantern Festival
• Winter Solstice Festival/Mid-Winter Festival
• Laba Festival/Congee Festival

Japan

• New Year’s Eve
• New Year
• Coming of age
• Beginning of Spring
• National Foundation Day
• Valentine’s Day
• Doll’s Festival
• (Valentine – Japanese style)
• White Day
• Spring Equinox Day
• Showa Day
• Constitution Day
• Greenery Day
• Children’s day
• Star Festival/Tanabata
• Ocean Day
• Obon
• Respect of the Aged Day
• Autumn Equinox Day
• Health and Sports Day
• Culture Day
• Seven-Five-Three
• Labour Thanksgiving Day
• Emperor’s Birthday
• Christmas (Japanese style)

*I will not be writing about them all, only the most significant (in size and value), seeing as there are a lot of regional festivals.