1.5.20, Wishing trees and colour
‘In Japan, there is a very big festival known as Tanabata. At its core, this festival and tradition is focused on the concept of love and lovers on the earth plane. Generally people celebrate Tanabata by writing wishes on small pieces of paper, and hanging them on bamboo trees, sometimes with accompanying decorations or offerings. The use of trees came in during the Edo period, during which the tradition of hanging them on bamboo trees appeared. The act of placing ones deepest wishes and hopes on a tree branch is more than just a beautiful activity, it is metaphorical. Bamboo is believed to have been adopted because of its tendency to grow straight and tall, with allowing the wishes to travel to heaven. Bamboo has also long signified a bountiful harvest in Japan and other parts of the world.’ (Bios Urn, 2020)
The vibrancy of colour makes these ‘trees’ very eye catching and aesthetically pleasing. For my wishing trees, so far I’ve used some brightly coloured strips of recycled cloth that I’ve used a number of times before in my participatory work. I’m keen to use as little new material as possible, yet now I’m running out of that initial stash. Yesterday I ‘planted’ a new wishing tree on another of our regular walks. I found some used ribbon in my stash, so started the tree with them. Interestingly, the colours are much less vibrant so barely show up against the hawthorn in bloom. I need to think of what else I can use as I’m reluctant to buy new material for this. I have collected a quantity of used textiles so I might cut up some old clothes and use them. Colour is important to me and has meaning. I’ve also run out of coloured recycled plastic file dividers, so what else can I use for weather proofed messages? I have some white plastic ones, but they’re much less visually interesting.
This time I printed the invitation to participate onto card and put it in a see through plastic wallet, tying it to the tree with used ribbons. Will it still be there next time I visit?
‘Planting’ a new wishing tree is a glorious and hopeful activity, but our additions are barely visible amongst the blossom-laden hawthorn branches.
Bios Urn (2020) The Fascinating Cultural Trend of “Wish Trees” Available at: https://urnabios.com/the-fascinating-cultural-trend-of-wishing-trees/ (Accessed 25 March 2020)
‘In Japan, there is a very big festival known as Tanabata. At its core, this festival and tradition is focused on the concept of love and lovers on the earth plane. Generally people celebrate Tanabata by writing wishes on small pieces of paper, and hanging them on bamboo trees, sometimes with accompanying decorations or offerings. The use of trees came in during the Edo period, during which the tradition of hanging them on bamboo trees appeared. The act of placing ones deepest wishes and hopes on a tree branch is more than just a beautiful activity, it is metaphorical. Bamboo is believed to have been adopted because of its tendency to grow straight and tall, with allowing the wishes to travel to heaven. Bamboo has also long signified a bountiful harvest in Japan and other parts of the world.’ (Bios Urn, 2020)
The vibrancy of colour makes these ‘trees’ very eye catching and aesthetically pleasing. For my wishing trees, so far I’ve used some brightly coloured strips of recycled cloth that I’ve used a number of times before in my participatory work. I’m keen to use as little new material as possible, yet now I’m running out of that initial stash. Yesterday I ‘planted’ a new wishing tree on another of our regular walks. I found some used ribbon in my stash, so started the tree with them. Interestingly, the colours are much less vibrant so barely show up against the hawthorn in bloom. I need to think of what else I can use as I’m reluctant to buy new material for this. I have collected a quantity of used textiles so I might cut up some old clothes and use them. Colour is important to me and has meaning. I’ve also run out of coloured recycled plastic file dividers, so what else can I use for weather proofed messages? I have some white plastic ones, but they’re much less visually interesting.
This time I printed the invitation to participate onto card and put it in a see through plastic wallet, tying it to the tree with used ribbons. Will it still be there next time I visit?
‘Planting’ a new wishing tree is a glorious and hopeful activity, but our additions are barely visible amongst the blossom-laden hawthorn branches.
Bios Urn (2020) The Fascinating Cultural Trend of “Wish Trees” Available at: https://urnabios.com/the-fascinating-cultural-trend-of-wishing-trees/ (Accessed 25 March 2020)