The star festival is celebrated on July 7. It is based on a Chinese legend involving two stars, Vega, the Weaver Star, and Altair, the Cowherd Star, who were allowed to meet only once a year after incurring the wrath of the heavenly king. The custom of sending summer gifts until around mid-July to acquaintances, friends, superiors, neighbors, relatives and other people to show appreciation. In December, gifts called oseibo are given to express thanks for the past year. In various parts of Japan, school sports and athletic meets are held in October when the Sports Day is celebrated.
Parents participate along with their children to enjoy some healthy exercise under autumn skies.
On November 15, children aged three, five and seven are dressed up in their best clothes and taken to tutelary shrines in their neighborhood by parents to pray for happiness and sound growth. Sweet candies in the shape of slender sticks colored red and white called chitose-ame are distributed as luck bringers. February 3, the eve of setting-in of Spring, is believed to produce noxious vapor and misfortune. The bean-throwing ceremony thus started at shrines and temples as a means of dispeling evils and misfortune. People also eat the same number of beans as their age, as a way of praying for health and prosperity.