Tsuru

Throughout history, birds have been viewed as animals of special value and have been endowed with meanings often drawn from legends and stories that have endured over many generations. For the Japanese, the crane -- or tsuru -- is considered a national treasure, appearing in art, literature, and folklore.

The Japanese regard the crane as a symbol of good fortune and longevity because of its fabled life span of a thousand years.

"According to Japanese lore, folding one thousand Origami cranes is truly a labor of love. Tradition holds that the bride & groom who finishes this task, called SENBAZURU, before the wedding day will be richly rewarded with a good and happy marriage. It is belived "tsuru wa sennen" or "the crane lives for a thousand years." Since cranes were also believed to mate for life, they became a perfect symbol for marriage.

Each crane has 26 folds and there are 1001 cranes to be made.

Best video demo available at:

http://www.origami.org.uk/origamicrane