July 7th is the traditional Chinese Qixi Festival, which is what the West calls Valentine’s Day.
The origin of the Qixi Festival is related to the popular story of the Cowherd and the Weaver Girl. Its earliest origin may be in the Spring and Autumn Period and the Warring States Period, such as "The Book of Songs·Dadong": "If you beat the Weaver Girl, you will have seven arms all day long. Even if there are seven Xiangs, they will not serve as seals; if you look at the cows, you will not recognize the boxes." Luo Qi of the Ming Dynasty also said in "The Origin of Things": "King Huai of Chu first established the Qixi Festival."
But at that time. On Chinese Valentine's Day, Altair and Vega are sacrificed, and there is no story behind them. It was not until the Han Dynasty that its details were connected with the story of the Cowherd and the Weaver Girl, and it officially became a women's festival. For example, the "Customs of Customs" written by Ying Shao of the Eastern Han Dynasty records: "The Weaver Girl will cross the river on the Chinese Valentine's Day to bring magpies to overseas." Another example is the "Miscellaneous Notes of Xijing": "The colorful girls of the Han Dynasty often wear seven-hole needles in the Kaijin Tower on July 7th. ”
Qixi Festival is China’s Valentine’s Day. It is also a festival that promotes love between men and women. Folklorists put forward their own opinions: Qixi Festival is first and foremost a festival for single women.
Zhao Kuifu, a professor at the Institute of Ancient Books at Northwest Normal University, believes that in ancient China, the Qixi Festival should be the happiest day for single women. Even during the Spring Festival, many women may not be able to wear new clothes to visit the house. Men visit relatives and friends. Only on the Chinese Valentine's Day, single women in ancient times can dress up and go out openly to party and play with their sisters.
“The Qixi Festival was first performed in the palace of the Western Han Dynasty, and later spread to the people.” Zhao Kuifu said that in the court of the Western Han Dynasty, the maids could not be encouraged to fall in love at will, so the earliest connotation of the Qixi Festival was mainly Begging for skill and commending women for their cleverness, women show off their unique crafts such as embroidery and needlework on this day.
Zhao Kuifu told reporters that after the Qixi Festival spread to the people, wishes such as love and happy family were added, and even the connotation of advocating reading and writing articles was added, such as Liu Yiqing's "Shishuoxinyu" "" mentioned the clip of everyone posting books on July 7th. Although the customs of Qixi Festival vary from place to place, the main thing that has not changed since ancient times is "begging for women's wisdom".