A senbazuru (千羽鶴, literally “1,000 cranes”) is a group of one thousand origami paper cranes (折鶴, orizuru) held together by strings. An ancient Japanese legend promises that anyone who folds a thousand origami cranes will be granted a wish.
The crane in Japan is one of the mystical or holy creatures and is said to live for a thousand years; that is why 1,000 cranes are made, one for each year. A thousand paper cranes are often given to a person who is seriously ill, to wish for their recovery. They are usually created by friends or colleagues as a collective effort.
Watch our how-to video and fold your own paper cranes using any square piece of paper. Kits are also available at curbside from Central, Hardesty, Rudisill, Zarrow, and Martin Libraries. Drop your completed cranes at any of these locations from June 15 - June 30. Look for tubs outside marked with the green crane! At the end of the month we will assemble our own senbazuru to be displayed for the community.
Watch our how-to video here or follow the instructions below to create your own crane!
