Cloudy Then Clearing

I had some time to myself today, so I engaged in a bit of literary activity.

Note is interesting, isn't it?
There are so many different literary communities, and it's very inspiring✨
Among them, there was one that really caught my eye, so I decided to (on my own initiative) join in!

#MyTwentyFourSolarTerms

The twenty-four solar terms are a calendar system originating in ancient China that divides the year into 24 equal parts based on the movement of the sun.
This is an attempt to record my thoughts on Note in accordance with those terms.

I like the idea of incorporating the seasons into daily life!

Since I only touch upon wine lightly, it's a bit outside the main purpose of my account, but since it's a creative piece, I'd like to let it see the light of day.

Please take a look if you have the time.

"Shosho" (Slight Heat), one of the twenty-four solar terms created in ancient China, falls around July 7th. This seasonal turning point, determined by the sun's progress, coincides perfectly with the Tanabata season in Japan.

In the vineyards, this is likely the time when the fruit has finished setting and the clusters are gradually beginning to swell.

However, for grape farmers, even though the fruit has finally set, it is still a season where they cannot let their guard down. The grapes of Tanabata are still green.

The background of Tanabata is said to involve the Chinese legend of the Cowherd and the Weaver Girl, the Kikkoden festival, and the Japanese Tanabata belief.

Interestingly, the Weaver Girl in Kikkoden was a figure who wove at her loom in heaven, a symbol of handicrafts and artistry. It is said that people prayed to the Weaver Star for improvement in weaving and sewing.

On the other hand, in the now-familiar Tanabata legend, the Weaver Girl and the Cowherd are spoken of as lovers separated by the Milky Way. After they became husband and wife, they became so absorbed in their love that the Weaver Girl neglected her weaving and the Cowherd neglected his work of tending the cattle. As punishment, they were separated and allowed to meet only once a year, on the night of July 7th.

Coincidentally, that time around July 7th is Shosho. As the heat begins to intensify, the manual labor in the vineyards also reaches a peak.

The story of the Weaver Girl and the Cowherd, while speaking of the poignancy of love, is also a warning against forgetting one's duties. People let their guard down not only in suffering but also in happiness. The same is true for grapes that have finally set. Just because they have fruited, one cannot yet be at ease.

The grapes that have finally set are swelling vigorously, but their coloring is still a little way off. The clusters are green, the berries are hard, and they are still a long way from the fragrant liquid we encounter in our glasses.

If the rain continues, disease will creep in, and if the leaves grow too thick, the wind will not pass through. If too many clusters are left, the strength will not reach each individual berry.
In other words, this period is a series of humble tasks: trimming branches, removing leaves, and carefully selecting clusters. However, the accumulation of that manual labor will support the wine of the future.

Grape farmers trim branches and clusters as delicately as the Weaver Girl works her loom, and they go about their daily duties as steadily as the Cowherd tends his cattle.

On the day of Tanabata, people look up at the sky and make wishes. But on this day of Shosho, there are people who keep their hands moving.

Eventually, the seasons will turn, and Shosho will move toward Taisho (Great Heat) and then toward autumn.

On the night of Tanabata, even if the stars are hidden by clouds and cannot be seen, it does not mean that the Weaver Girl and the Cowherd have disappeared from beyond the sky.

Grapes are the same.

Still green, still hard, and still far from becoming wine. Yet, within those small clusters, the invisible seasons are advancing little by little.

Cloudy, then clearing.

Believing in that, the grape farmer continues to work today.

Thank you for reading.

I am participating in the Creative Awards, so please support me if you'd like! ↓↓↓