By Mitsue Finch Uchida
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(Please scroll below for the English version)
待ちに待った夏らしくなった英国(ロンドン)ですが、先月は、雨も多く肌寒い日々。。。夏は来ないのかと心配気味。でもここ1-2週間とても気持ちの良い毎日ですね。お変わりございませんでしょうか。このアクセス歳時記も4年目に入りました。勿論アクセスアポイントメントのブログは2013年から継続していますのでBack Numberもご覧くださいませ。皆さまのご愛顧の賜物です。ありがとうございます。さて、少し昔を振り返りと言いますか、7月と言えば七夕、今回はその由来をゆっくりとご紹介しましょう。
『昔、昔。。。天の川の近くに、天帝と呼ばれる天空で一番偉い神様が住んでいました。天帝の一人娘の織姫は、機織りの上手な働き者で、毎日神様の着物を織り、彼女の織る布は五色に輝く大変美しいものだったといわれていて、年頃になった娘のために、天帝が婿として選んだのが牛飼いの青年、彦星でした。彼もまた一生懸命に牛の世話をする働き者の青年でした。織姫と彦星はお互い一目ぼれで、結婚することに。しかし余りにも恋愛に夢中になり、2人は次第に仕事をしなくなったのです。おかげで神様たちの着物はボロボロになり、牛は痩せこけてしまい、苦情が寄せられて激怒した天帝は、2人を天の川の東西に引き離すことにしました。ところが、悲しみにくれた織姫は毎日泣いてばかり。娘を不憫に思った天帝は、1年に1度、7月7日の夜だけ2人が会うことを認めた』この織姫と彦星の伝説は、ロマンチックな恋物語として今も日本で語り継がれていて、この日は願い事を書いた短冊を笹の木にかけると願いが叶うとも言われています。それはきっと二人が一年に一度会えるという願いが叶いというメタフォーでもあるのかもですね。しかし彼らがそれでHappy ever afterだったのかは計り知れず、未だに七夕の行事は受け継がれています。
七夕の短冊は正式には5色あり、「青(緑)、赤、黄、白、黒(紫)」のことで、中国で生まれた自然哲学の思想「陰陽五行説」に由来しているらしく、せっかく短冊に願いごとを書くのであれば、色を使い分けてみてみましょう~。そこで、5色の短冊の意味
青(緑)…人間力を高める願いごと
赤…祖先や親に感謝すること
黄…人間関係に関する願いごと
白…義務や決まりを守ること
黒(紫)…学業に関する願いごと
少しロマンテイックからは程遠い内容ですが、皆さんもそれぞれ願いを今年は書いてみてはいかがでしょうか。因みに私の願いは。。。内緒ですが、青、赤、黄に近い(欲張りですね)内容かと思います。
個人的には、英国初のUK駅伝の応援にテームズ河畔のHenry-on-Thames辺りへ行き、和太鼓のショーや私が以前マラソンを走ったときにお世話になった方々が今回駅伝を走られ、とても活気あふれる一日でした。きっと来年はもっと知名度が上がるのではと期待しています。ちなみに日本の箱根駅伝は2024年は丁度100年目という節目になったそうですね。大変素晴らしい快挙です!!UK駅伝の内容を掲載したインスタです。
さあ、英国は4日に総選挙、そして天皇皇后両陛下の訪英も終わり、あのバッキンガムパレス周辺が英国、日本国旗で飾られるという素敵なシーンを実際でも画面ででも見れた私達は幸せですね。そして天皇陛下をお迎えする際に、「君が代」がBritish Armyにより演奏された時は、胸に国歌が響き感激しました。さて、今頃は両陛下足をテーブル?の上にあげられくつろいでいらっしゃるのでしょうか。。。(苦笑)。御訪英時は、お天気も最高の青空、そして気持ちの良いそよ風が時折頬を撫でてくれていましたが、両陛下共々素敵な思い出をお持ちになり帰国されたことと思います。
ここで愚俳句と川柳です。
蝉の声 梅雨明け早い 猛暑なり
恒例の プライドロンドン 虹色に
<お知らせ>
7月もレスタースクエアーに桂三輝さんやってきて、新しい落語をきかせていただけます。チケット購入はこちらからどうぞ
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It’s a long-awaited summer season in the UK (London), but the beginning of June is rainy and chilly. . .I wonder if summer will never come. . . but the past 1-2 weeks have been very pleasant. We hope you are all well. This “Saijiki” is now in its fourth year thanks to your support. Of course, the Access Appointment blog has been running since 2013, so please also take a look at the back number. Well, let’s look back a little and July is synonymous with Tanabata, and today we will introduce its origins.
A long long time ago. The greatest god in the sky, called Emperor of Tentei, lived near the Milky Way. Orihime, the only daughter of the Emperor, was a hard worker who was skilled at weaving, and it is said that she weaved kimonos for the gods every day, and the cloth she wove was extremely beautiful and shone in five colours. Tentei chose his son-in-law was Hikoboshi for his daughter Orihime, a young cowherd. He was also a hard-working young man who worked hard to take care of his cattle.
Orihime and Hikoboshi fell in love at first sight and decided to get married. However, the two became so absorbed in love that they gradually stopped working. As a result, the gods’ clothes were ruined and the cows became emaciated, and the emperor, furious at the complaints from everyone, decided to separate the two to the east and west of the Milky Way. However, Orihime is overcome with sadness and cries every day. The Emperor, feeling sorry for his daughter, allowed the two to meet once a year on the night of July 7th, and this legend of Orihime and Hikoboshi is still passed down in Japan as a romantic love story. It is said that on this day, if you write a wish on a strip of paper and hang it on a bamboo tree, your wish will come true. It may also be a metaphor for the wish of two people to meet once a year coming true. However, it is unclear whether they were happy ever after, and the Tanabata event is still passed down from generation to generation.
Tanabata strips officially come in five colours: “blue (green), red, yellow, white, and black (purple)”, which originates from the “”Yin-Yang Five Elements” theory of natural philosophy that originated in China. Try using different colours when you are going to write your wishes on strips of paper. The meanings of the five coloured strips of paper are;
Blue (green): Wish to improve human strength
Red: Wish to be grateful to ancestors and parents
Yellow: Wish related to human relationships
White: Obeying obligations and rules
Black (purple): Wishes related to schoolwork .
It may not be far from romantic, but why not write down your own wishes this year? My wish is. . . a secret but I think it’s something related to blue, red or yellow!?
Personally, I went to the Henry-on-Thames area on the banks of the Thames to cheer on “the UK Ekiden”, which was being held for the first time in the UK. There was a Japanese drum show and was a very lively day. I’m sure it will become even more well-known next year. This is an Instagram about UK Ekiden. By the way, 2024 will mark the 100th anniversary of Japan’s Hakone Ekiden.
Well, the general election in the UK is on the 4th of July, and the visit of the Emperor and Empress of Japan was over, and we are happy to have seen the wonderful scene around Buckingham Palace being decorated with British and Japanese flags. And when the British Army performed “Kimigayo” to welcome the Emperor, the national anthem resonated in my heart and I was as moved as I have been in decades. By now, I wonder if Their Majesties are relaxing with their feet up . The weather was perfect, with blue skies and a pleasant breeze caressing our cheeks from time to time, and I believe that both Their Majesties returned home with wonderful memories.
Here are some haiku and senryu.
Customary Pride London, rainbow colours forever
Summer UK Ekiden here it is
The sound of cicadas, the rainy season ends early, it’s extremely hot
<Information>
Mr. Katsura Sunshine will be coming to Leicester Square again in July and will be giving us a performance. for the tickets, please check here.
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