Sometimes it’s fun to take a little time out from regular curriculum to study culture. I particularly like to study Japanese culture in English. I get my students to explain their holidays to me in English. Tanabata is one of my favourite Japanese traditions. Though most westerners have heard the story of the star-crossed lovers and the milky way, we don’t write wishes down on paper or check the weather to see if the lovers can meet this year. I always get my students to write their wishes down in English, and place them on our “Tanabata” tree. Though it may be true that usually a bamboo branch is used, our classroom tree has become the “Smith’s Kamishinjo” symbol of Tanabata. It started 3 years ago when we couldn’t find a bamboo branch early enough and had to improvise. Since then, our classroom tree has drawn many comments. One student called it “The Almighty Tree”…sometimes it’s a Tanabata tree and sometimes it’s a Christmas tree…so I think it has earned the title!
Happy Belated Tanabata! May your wishes come true! Unfortunatley, with Tanabata falling in rainy season, the lovers definitely did not meet last night…at least not over the Osaka skies!!
That’s a great idea- mixing Japanese culture with English study, and hopefully bringing some luck to your students. Fun!