XPost: soc.culture.japan, alt.usage.english
On 7/6/2024 7:28 PM, Stefan Ram wrote:
Yay! It's Tanabata!
良い七夕を
The date of Tanabata varies by region of the country, but the
first festivities begin on 7 July of the Gregorian calendar.
The celebration is held at various days between July and August.
>>> Unfortunately, I can't definitively say whether July
7th in Japan has been cooler in the last centuries without specific
historical weather data.
Summer 2023 in Japan was exceptionally hot. Here's some
evidence to support that:
Records Broken: According to the Japan Meteorological Agency
(JMA), summer 2023 (June-August) was the hottest on record since
statistics began in 1898. The average temperature across 15 observation stations was 1.76°C higher than the normal for 1991-2020.
Japan is highly likely to suffer a scorching
summer this year, after logging the hottest summer on record last year.
Average temperatures are expected to be high in June-August across the
country, with the mercury likely to rise especially in August, according
to the Meteorological Agency. May 25, 2024
___________________________________
No, Tanabata (七夕, Star Festival) in Japan hasn't
always been celebrated on July 7th according to the Gregorian calendar
we use today. Here's why:
Historical Calendar: Traditionally, Japan used a
lunisolar calendar, which combines the cycles of the moon and the sun.
This calendar doesn't perfectly align with the Gregorian calendar, so
the date of the seventh day of the seventh lunar month can vary in the Gregorian calendar.
Shifting Dates: Because of this difference, Tanabata could
fall anywhere between early July and mid-August depending on the year.
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