Join us at our Star-Prayer/Tanabata festival.  Bento and tea ceremony under the star at Community Observatory.  

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July 2024

Date: TBA

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Community Observatory

6699 Campus Dr. Placerville, CA 95667

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 Fee:$35/Associate member*, $45/Non-Associate member

Reservation is required. Open to public.

Online Reservation: Click here

($10 non-refundable registration fee once your payment is made.

Not refundable after June 25th but transferable. )  Ju

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Meeting time: 7pm at the observatory     
Picnic and Tea Ceremony starts at 7:15pm.                    

Bento:  Organic Gluten-free and Dairy-free Wild Salmon Sushi Brito will be served. 
Tea: organic authentic Matcha tea and traditional tea confections will be served at our tea ceremony. Caffeine-free option is available.  

What to bring: your own drinking water, warm clothes and flash light.

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What to wear: there is no dress code however we encourage all guests to wear something Japanese themed, Yukata (summer kimono), kimono, accessories but not mandatory. 

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* You have to have our 2022 Associate member card in order to have member discounts.  Please

go to https://www.templekukuri.org/associates to learn how to become our Associate members.

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All proceeds will go to Temple KUKURI Wellness Program Fund.

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What is Tanabata/Star-Prayer Festival?

Tanabata is a Japanese tradition in which people write their wishes on small, colorful strips of papers and hang them on bamboo branches. The Japanese term for these papers is tanzaku. Alternatively, some people also decorate bamboo branches with various kinds of paper decorations and place them outside of their houses. Tanabata celebrates a number of different concepts, including love, wishes, playfulness and beauty, all while explaining the constellations.

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The Origin of Tanabata

It's said that the origin of Tanabata, which is also known as the Star Festival, dates back to more than 2,000 years ago. Its roots are described in an old Chinese tale. According to the tale, once there was a weaver princess named Orihime and a cow herder prince named Hikoboshi living in space. After they got together, they played all the time and began to neglect their work. This angered the king, who separated them on opposite sides of the Amanogawa River (Milky Way) as punishment.

The king relented somewhat and allowed Orihime and Hikoboshi to see each other once a year on the seventh day of the seventh month in the lunar calendar. Tanabata literally means the night of the seventh. The Japanese believe that Orihime and Hikoboshi can't see each other if the weather is rainy, so it's customary to pray for good weather on this day and also to make wishes.

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*how to become our Associate member

 

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