What is the origin of the Star Fairy?

The origins

La Fée des Étoiles qui accompagne le Père Christmas, à la remise des cadeaux, serait inspirée de Sainte-Lucie, qu’on célébrait autour du 22 ou 23 décembre, très près du solstice. Le prénom Lucie vient du mot lux which means light. At one point in history, there was a whole shift in the calendar, which explains why, among the Orthodox, we celebrate Christmas twelve days later than our Christmas, that of the Christians. This is also the reason why the feast of Saint Lucy was moved from the solstice where it was, to find itself twelve days earlier, on December 12. Saint Lucy is a saint who inherited the notoriety of a goddess who predates Christianity, a goddess who was associated with the hope of light.

The Fairy Destiny

As for the word "fairy," it comes from the Latin "FATA," itself derived from "FATUM," which means destiny. Originally, the fairy was the supernatural entity that presides over the destiny of men. She can be good or bad for the one over whose destiny she leans. The fairies who preside over destinies are similar to the Fates of Greco-Latin mythology. Legend has it that they had to spin the weft of each existence in their spindle, unwind it, and then cut the thread; they are generally represented as three beautiful ladies.

An Asian version of a fairy

In Japan, on July 7th, a Chinese holiday is celebrated called the "Star Festival." According to legend, this is the night of the year when Altair, the cowherd, can cross the Milky Way to join his beloved, Vega, the Weaver Princess (their Star Fairy), and thus renew their vows of love. Children are taught that their wishes will come true if they write them on strips of colored paper called "Tanzaku," which are hung on bamboo branches on this day.