Hikoboshi is a character from Japanese folklore, often associated with the star Vega. He is one of the two lovers in the story of Tanabata, a festival celebrated on the seventh day of the seventh month. According to the legend, Hikoboshi is a cowherd who is separated from his beloved, Orihime, a weaver princess, by the Milky Way. They are allowed to meet only once a year on this day. During the Tanabata festival, people celebrate Hikoboshi and Orihime by writing wishes on colorful strips of paper called tanzaku and hanging them on bamboo branches. The festival symbolizes love and the reunion of the two stars, representing hope and longing.