|THE LEGEND OF 1,000 CRANES|
"According to Japanese lore, folding 1,000 Origami Cranes is truly a labor of love. Tradition holds that the bride who finishes this task, called 'sembazuru', before her wedding day will be richly rewarded with a good and happy marriage. Paying homage to the magestic crane, which mates for life and is said to live one thousand years, the bride ensures her own good fortune."
Linda Mihara, in B FOR SAVVY BRIDES magazine, 1998
In Japan, the tradition of folding 1,000 cranes is done when someone has a wish, be it for peace, health or luck. Framing the cranes as art is a relatively new take on the tradition and was started by the Sansei( Third generation Japanese Americans) some 25 years ago. The earliest designs were of family crests, but today, it can be anything from stylish interpretations of those crests to modern designs and traditional themes.
Today, couples will fold 1,000 cranes as a wish for a long and prosperous marriage. Others will fold the cranes to wish congratulations on a 50th wedding anniversary or as a get well wish for someone who is ill. The folding of the cranes can be done with entire families and friends, not just the bride or the one making the wish. It is believed that the more people involved, the more luck you will have!
|About the Artist|
|Red Crane Fan|