Japan Edition
World Freshly Swept Step Day leads today's complete edition for Japan.
Daily Edition
Official observances, world days, local context, and everyday celebrations for people who need something worth reading, sharing, or talking about today.
A day for the visible care people give to entrances, porches, shopfronts, courtyards, sidewalks, and shared spaces.
The festival of the stars Orihime (Vega) and Hikoboshi (Altair), who are lovers separated by the Milky Way and allowed to meet once a year on the seventh day of the seventh month. The tradition is to write a wish on a colorful strip of paper (tanzaku) and hang it on a bamboo branch. The bamboo is covered with wishes by the end of the day, and the effect is a tree of hope. The festival is celebrated with parades, fireworks, and the hanging of streamers in every shopping street.
A day for food, water, grooming, shade, warmth, and the small routines that keep animals safe and loved.