Threading a Needle to Beg for Skills
This is the earliest way of begging for skills, which started in the Han Dynasty and spread to later generations. "Miscellaneous Notes of Xijing" says: "The colorful girls of the Han Dynasty often pierced the seven-hole needle in the Kaijin Tower on July 7th, and people practiced it." Liang Zongmou of the Southern Dynasties, "Jingchu Years' Notes" said: "July 7th is the evening The women of the Qi Dynasty used gold and silver stones as needles to thread the needles through seven holes. "Wang Renyu of the Five Dynasties" "Kaiyuan Tianbao Legacy" said: "On Qixi Festival, the palace is built with brocade, a hundred feet high, which can accommodate dozens of people. Melons and fruits are cooked with wine, and seats are set up to worship the cow girl. Two stars, each with a nine-hole needle and five colored threads, are pierced towards the moon. The one who passes by will be a lucky prince, and the music of the Qing Dynasty will be played, and the feast will be celebrated. "Yuan Tao Zongyi's "Yeting Lu". " said: "Jiuyin Terrace is a place for begging for luck on Chinese Valentine's Day. On the evening of the evening, the palace maids go on the stage and thread the nine-tailed needle with colorful silk. Those who finish it first are said to have gained luck, and those who finish it late are said to have lost luck. Each of them contributes money to give to the one who gets luck."
Happy spiders should be clever
This is also an earlier way of begging for cleverness. Its custom is slightly later than begging for skill by threading a needle, and it roughly started in the Southern and Northern Dynasties. Liang Zongmao of the Southern Dynasty said in "The Chronicles of Jingchu Years": "It was evening, and melons and fruits were laid out in the courtyard to beg for luck. If there were happy nets on the melons, they would be lucky."
The Legacy of Kaiyuan Tianbao by Wang Renyu of the Five Dynasties Said: "On July 7th, each catch a spider in a small box and wait until dawn to open it; consider the spider webs to be dense and dense, and consider them to be clever. Those who are dense will say more clever things, and those who are sparse will say fewer clever things. This is also followed by the people." Meng Yuanlao of the Song Dynasty "Tokyo Menghua Lu" said that on July 7th, "a small spider is placed in the zygote. If you look at it the next day, if the web is round, it is called a coincidence." Song Zhoumi's "Qian Chun Sui Sui Ji" said; "Use a small spider to store the egg." "In "Xi Chao Le Shi" written by Ming Tian Rucheng, "Put a spider in a small box and wait for the density of its web the next morning to see how much luck you will get." It can be seen that the methods of testing skill are different in the past dynasties. The Southern and Northern Dynasties looked at the presence or absence of the net, the Tang Dynasty looked at the density of the net, and the Song Dynasty looked at the roundness of the net. Later generations mostly followed the customs of the Tang Dynasty.
Throwing a Needle to Test Skills
This is a variant of the Chinese Valentine's Day custom of needlework and begging for skills. It originated from needlework but is different from needlework. It was a popular Chinese Valentine's Day in the Ming and Qing dynasties. vulgar. Liu Tong and Yu Yizheng's "Scenery of the Imperial Capital" of the Ming Dynasty said: ""The skillful needle was thrown at noon on July 7th. A woman is exposed to a lot of water in the sun. After a while, the water film forms on her face. When she throws an embroidery needle, it floats, and she can see the shadow of the needle on the bottom of the water. If there are shadows of clouds, flowers, heads, birds, and beasts, and if there are shadows of shoes, scissors, water eggplants, etc., it is called begging for skill. The shadows are as thick as a hammer, as thin as silk, and as straight as a shaft of wax, which is a sign of clumsiness. "Zhili Chronicles" also says that in Liangxiang County (today's southwest of Beijing), "on July 7, women beg for skills, throw needles into the water, use the shadow of the sun to check their workmanship, and at night they are still begging for skills from the Weaver Girl." Please Yu Min The "Rixia Jiuwen Kao" quoted from "Wanshu Miscellaneous Notes" said: "On July 7th, the women of Yandu poured bowls of water into the sun, each dropped a small needle to float on the water surface, and slowly looked at the shadow of the sun on the bottom of the water. It may scatter like flowers, move like clouds, be as thin as a thread, or be as thick as a cone, because it is used to predict women's skill. ”
Seeking seeds from seeds
According to the old custom, a few days before Chinese Valentine’s Day, one would spread a layer of soil on a small wooden board, sow corn seeds, and let them produce green seedlings. , and then put some small huts, flowers and trees on it to make it look like a small village with farm houses, which is called a "shell board", or soak mung beans, adzuki beans, wheat, etc. in a magnetic bowl and wait for it to grow buds of an inch. Then tie it into a bunch with red and blue silk ropes, which is called "Zhongsheng", also called "Five-sheng pot" or "Shenghua pot". It is also called "Paoqiao" in various places in the south, and the bean sprouts that grow are called Qiao. They even use buds instead of needles and throw them on the water to beg for tricks. They also use wax to make various figures, such as characters from the story of the Cowherd and the Weaver Girl, or the shapes of vultures, mandarin ducks, and other animals, and put them on the water to float on them. It is called "floating on water". There are also wax baby dolls that women buy and float on the water and soil, which are considered to be auspicious for their children and are called "huasheng".
They are worshiped as "mohele"
p>Mohele is a small clay doll that was used as a children's plaything during the Chinese Valentine's Day in the old days. Its image is mostly in the shape of a half-armed dress with a lotus leaf and a lotus leaf in its hand. On the east side of the street, there are tiles outside Songmen, tiles outside Zhouxi Liangmen, outside the North Gate, South Zhuquemen Street and Maxing Street, all selling mills and drinks, which are small plastic clay ears."
In fact, the grinding music made later in the Song Dynasty is no longer a small clay doll. On the contrary, it has become more and more refined. The size and posture of Mohele vary. The largest one is as high as three feet, which is as high as a real child. The materials used include ivory carvings or dragon and bergamot incense carvings. The decorations of Mohele are even more exquisite. Some use painted wood carvings as railings, or use red sand and green cages as covers. , the toys in their hands are mostly decorated with gold, jade and precious stones, and a pair of toys often cost thousands of dollars.
Worshiping the Weaver Girl
"Worshiping the Weaver Girl" is purely a matter for girls and young women. Most of them make appointments with their friends or neighbors in advance for five or six people, or as many as ten people, to hold the event jointly. The ceremony is to set up a table under the moonlight with tea and wine on it. Fruits, nuts (longan, red dates, hazelnuts, peanuts, melon seeds) and other sacrifices were included; there were also a few flowers, bundled with red paper, placed in a vase, and a small incense burner was placed in front of the flowers. Then, make an appointment for the young women and girls who are going to worship Weaver Girl to fast for a day, take a bath, and come to the host's house on time. After burning incense in front of the desk and worshiping, everyone sits around the table, eating peanuts, melon seeds, and Looking towards the constellation of the Vega, silently reflect on your thoughts. For example, if girls want to be beautiful or marry a good man, and if young women want to have a baby early, they can pray silently to Vega. Play until midnight and then break up.
Worshiping Kuixing
According to popular legend, July 7th is Kuixing’s birthday. Kuixing is an important figure in literary affairs. Scholars who want to gain fame especially respect Kuixing, so they must worship Kuixing on the Chinese Valentine's Day and pray for him to bless them with good luck in examinations. Kuixing Ye is Kuiduxing. Kuixing in the Twenty-Eight Constellations is the first star of the Big Dipper, and it is also the Kuixing or the leader. In ancient times, when scholars won the top prize, they were called "Dakui Tianxiashi" or "won the first prize in one fell swoop" because Kuixing was in charge of examination luck.
According to folklore, Lord Kuixing was ugly, with spots on his face and a lameness. Someone wrote a limerick to make fun of him: If you don't show it, what's the use of decorating it with lead? Even if it's lead, don't cover it up. Marrying Magu makes two beauties, and the results of the hive are perfect. There are claws below the eyebrows, and geese are treading on the sand beside the mouth and nose. Don't be tempted to take a nap in front of the eaves, while the wind blows plum blossoms from your forehead. Xiangjun's jade toe is the most bizarre, one step up and one step down. The body feels like dancing when the movements are moving, and the movements are as fluttering as the mouth. Just because the world is full of dangers, I am so tired that all my beauty is gone. Mo Xiao's waist branches are often half-folded, and sometimes they sway in various ways.
However, this Mr. Kuixing was very ambitious and worked hard, and he even passed high school. During the emperor's palace examination, he was asked why his face was covered with spots, and he replied: "The pockmarked face is full of stars." When asked why his feet were lame, he replied: "One-legged jump from the Dragon Gate." The emperor was very satisfied and admitted him.
Another completely different legend says that although Lord Kuixing was full of knowledge during his lifetime, he failed every exam, so he was so angry that he threw himself into the river and committed suicide. Unexpectedly, he was rescued by a turtle and ascended to heaven to become the Kuixing. Because Kuixing can influence the academic fortunes of scholars, scholars solemnly worship him every July 7th, his birthday.
Showing books and clothes
According to reports, Sima Yi was quite jealous of Cao Cao because of his high position and power. In view of the political darkness at that time, in order to protect himself, he pretended to be Madness is hiding at home. Emperor Wu of Wei was still not at ease, so he sent a confidant named Ling Shi to secretly investigate the truth. It was July 7th, and Sima Yi, who was pretending to be crazy, was also posting books at home. He ordered Shi to go back and report to Emperor Wu of Wei. Emperor Wu of Wei immediately ordered Sima Yi to return to the court to serve, otherwise he would be imprisoned. Sima Yi just obeyed the order and returned to the court. There is another kind of person who, in troubled times, expresses his depression by being dissolute. They despise etiquette and oppose current customs. Volume 25 of Liu Yiqing's Shishuoxinyu says that on July 7, everyone was posting books, but only Hao Long ran to lie down in the sun. When people asked him why, he replied: "I post books." On the one hand, this is to despise the custom of posting books, and on the other hand, it is to show off one's inner talents. Showing your belly means showing your books. The custom of drying clothes in the Han Dynasty created opportunities for wealthy families to show off their wealth during the Wei and Jin Dynasties. Ruan Xian, one of the "Seven Sages of the Bamboo Grove", looked down upon this style of work. On July 7, when his neighbor was drying his clothes, he saw that the shelves were full of Lingluo silk and satin, which was dazzling.
Ruan Xian calmly picked up a shabby piece of clothing with a bamboo pole. When someone asked him what he was doing, he said: "I can't escape from the vulgarity, let's talk about it!" Judging from these few stories, we know that the Chinese Valentine's Day was the time to post books. , How old is the custom of drying clothes.
Congratulations on the Cow's Birthday
Children will pick wild flowers and hang them on the horns of the cow on the Chinese Valentine's Day, which is called "Congratulating the Cow's Birthday" (it is said that the Chinese Valentine's Day is the birthday of the cow).
Eat Qiaoguo
Qixi Festival food is most famous for Qiaoguo. Qiaoguo, also known as "Qiaoguo", comes in many styles. The main ingredient is oily molasses. "Tokyo Menghualu" calls it "laughing tired children" and "fruit-eating patterns", and the patterns include Na Xiang, Fang Sheng, etc. During the Song Dynasty, Qixi Qiaoguo was already sold on the streets.
If you buy a pound of Qiaoguo, there will also be a pair of them wearing battle armor, like door god dolls, known as the "Fruit Eater Generals". The method of making Qiaoguo is: first put the sugar in a pot and melt it into syrup, then add flour and sesame seeds, mix well and spread it out on the table to thin, let it cool and then cut it into long cubes with a knife, and fold it into a spindle shape. Dough-fry the dough until golden brown. Women with skillful hands can also shape various patterns related to the legend of the Chinese Valentine's Day. In addition, the fruits used in begging can also be varied. Or carve the melons and fruits into exotic flowers and birds, or emboss patterns on the surface of the melon skin. Called "huagua"
Qiaoguo and flower melon are the most common Chinese Valentine's Day foods. In history, each dynasty had different food customs. For example, it was popular in the Wei Dynasty to serve soup cakes on July 7th. The festival foods of the Tang Dynasty included cutting cakes on July 7th, and designated July 7th as the book-drying festival. Three provinces and six ministries or less would each be given a certain amount of gold to prepare for the banquet, which was called the "book-drying party". Chinese Valentine's Day is also a suitable day for dispensing medicine. It is said that there is a secret recipe using pine and cypress as medicinal materials. This magical pill is made from the dew on July 7th. Taking one pill can extend your life by ten years, and taking two pills can extend your life by twenty years. In addition, there are also pine nuts, cypress seeds, lotus leaves, etc., all of which are called elixirs of immortality. The more practical prescriptions include sun-drying sophora japonica juice to treat hemorrhoids, decoction of bitter melon to treat eyes, plucking melon stems to treat diarrhea, and so on. Only those who have tried it will know how effective it is.
Different customs from various places
Guangdong - Qinianghui
In Guangdong, the most important thing about the Qixi Festival was in the Qing Dynasty and the Republic of China, and there were many What an interesting custom. Qu Dajun's "Guangdong New Language" has recorded the grand occasion of the "Qiniang Hui" in the early Qing Dynasty. During the Republic of China, many interesting customs were spread. Qu Dajun's "Guangdong New Language" has already recorded the grand occasion of the "Qiniang Hui" in the early Qing Dynasty, which is often called "Worship the Seventh Sister" among the people. According to the memories of old people who participated in the "Worship the Seventh Sister" event during the Republic of China, "Worship the Seventh Sister" was particularly popular in the Xiguan area of ??Guangzhou. The activity is usually carried out among young girls and young women (men and elderly women can only watch from the sidelines and worship at the same time). A dozen of their best sisters are organized in advance to prepare for the "Seventh Sister Worship". In June, some Rice, wheat grains, mung beans, etc. are soaked in porcelain bowls and allowed to germinate. As Chinese Valentine's Day approaches, we get even busier. We have to raise some money and ask family members to help us build a magpie bridge with bamboo strips and paper and make various exquisite handicrafts. On the night of the Chinese Valentine's Day, the Eight Immortals table is set up in the hall, tied with an embroidered table apron (table skirt), and various colorful flower and fruit products and women's red crafts are placed on it to show off the skills of the daughters. There are rice seedlings and bean sprouts trays surrounded by paper-cut red flower ribbons. Oil lamps are lit in the trays, and the light shines through the painted tissue paper lampshades, which are eye-catching. There are carefully arranged flower arrangements, including white orchids, jasmine, jasmine and other fragrant flowers. Flowers are placed in copper and porcelain vases; lotuses, roses, night lilies, and camellias as big as teaspoons are placed in small pots. One real one matches the fake one, and it is difficult to tell whether it is real or fake; there are also apples, peaches, persimmons, etc. Fruit plates are cut and stacked into various shapes of birds and animals; inch-long embroidered dresses, shoes, socks and flower clogs; small tents, sheets, curtains and table skirts woven and embroidered with gold and silver colored threads; nails-sized fans, Handkerchief; use small wooden boards to spread soil and plant seedlings of beans and millet, and build pavilions and pavilions made of fine wood. In short, the more detailed it is, the more ingenious it looks.
They also used rice grains, sesame seeds, rush wicks, and colored paper to make various forms of towers, tables and chairs, vase stoves, flowers and fruits, the four treasures of the study, and offerings made of madou with various patterns and characters; they also hung glass or candles. Colored paper lanterns, palace lanterns, pomelo peel and eggshell lanterns (with landscapes, flowers and birds carved on them), and animal-shaped lanterns. The most endearing ones are the exquisite dolls made of colorful silk by the daughters, that is, rag dolls. The chicks have the images of the Cowherd, the Weaver Girl and a pair of children. They are usually placed on the upper level. Below are the images of children playing the flute, playing the piano and dancing, to celebrate the meeting of the two stars. There are also complete sets of drama characters such as "West Chamber", "Red Mansion" and "Yang Clan Female General" (along with porcelain dolls, which parents buy for their children as holiday gifts). In addition, of course, it is indispensable to display cosmetics, such as small rouge boxes, mirrors, colored combs, velvet flowers, makeup powder, etc., both for the use of the Weaver Girl and for the daughters' own use. There are also wax fruits, small animals, etc. In addition, there are sweet and salty snacks, tea, wine, melon seeds, peanuts and other foods. Indispensable are candlesticks, incense burners, incense candles, and lighting with the best sandalwood.
Daughters should dress up and dress up as much as they can on Chinese Valentine's Day, bathe in Tianhe water, wash their hair, then put on brocade skirts, coats, cheongsams, put their hair in a bun, and wear white orchids, jasmine and other flower ornaments; Then draw eyebrows, apply makeup, dot the lips, and print on the forehead; use impatiens juice to dye the nails. After being dressed up like this, the daughters descended to earth like fairies one by one, sitting around the Eight Immortals table and beside the magpie bridge, playing various games: they entertained themselves, recited poems and made poems, performed orders and guessed riddles, and threaded needles to worship and beg for cleverness; Point to the Big Dipper and the Double Star in the sky (it is said that the Weaver Girl is one of the seven-star sisters) and the twin stars, and tell the story of the Cow Girl, poems and allusions; or invite a singer to sing Cantonese opera, play Ba music, etc., and the daughters also play the piano and Xiao etc. musical instruments. At this time, people can go to various houses to see the begging tables. Even though there are many people, the host is still happy to entertain them. The celebrations last until twelve o'clock in the middle of the night, which is the auspicious time for the Weaver Girl to descend to earth. At this time, all the lights and incense candles are lit, and it is colorful and brilliant. The girls are in high spirits, working hard to welcome the Seventh Sister, and there is joy everywhere. After a final feast, they dispersed. As the Qing Dynasty poet Wang Lun (name of the legendary fish) said in his "Yangcheng Chinese Valentine's Day Bamboo Branch Poems": "The embroidered Yao Fei blooms one after another, and the flowers serve as a barrier and the jade serves as a platform. Lan Qiao, a young girl from Qingxi, comes to beg for a date."
Taiwan - Worshiping the "Bed Mother"
In addition to worshiping the Seventh Mother on Chinese Valentine's Day in Taiwan, a small bowl of oily rice is often brought to the room to worship the "Bed Mother". should have a similar meaning. Childbirth and childcare are irreplaceable responsibilities for women, so these gods are also female gods; a close connection is formed between female gods and female believers, which resolves women's anxiety when taking on motherhood. with fear. "Bed Mother" is the protector of children. July 7th is the birthday of Bed Mother. Families with children at home will pay homage to Bed Mother at the bedside where children sleep in the evening. Offerings include: fried rice and chicken wine. (or sesame oil chicken), burn "Sifang Jin" and "Bed Mother's Clothes". The time to worship the Bed Mother should not be too long. It is not like the usual worship that requires three rounds of pouring wine. After the offerings are laid out and the incense is lit, you can prepare to burn them. "Four Squares of Gold" and "Bed Mother's Clothes" can be withdrawn after being burned. We hope that the child will grow up quickly. We should not pray to the bed mother for too long, for fear that the bed mother will pamper the child and stay in bed.
Jiangsu - Chinese Valentine's Day Incense Bridge Party
In Gudoujing Village, Tanghui Township, Jiaxing, Jiangsu Province, there is a Chinese Valentine's Day Incense Bridge Party. Every Chinese Valentine's Day, people come to participate and build fragrant bridges. The so-called incense bridge is a bridge about four to five meters long and half a meter wide made of various thick and long incense sticks (incense sticks wrapped in paper). It is equipped with railings and tied with five-color threads. Made of flower decoration. At night, people worship the twin stars, pray for good fortune, and then burn the incense bridge, symbolizing that the twin stars have crossed the incense bridge and met happily. This fragrant bridge is derived from the legendary Magpie Bridge.
Hunan, Zhejiang - Women wash their hair and collect dew
It is also a special custom for women to wash their hair on Chinese Valentine's Day. This record is found in Hunan, Jiangsu and Zhejiang. For example, "You County Chronicles" in Xiangtan area, Hunan Province: "On July 7th, women picked cypress leaves and peach branches, cooked them in soup and bathed their hair." The famous prose writer Qi Jun (born in Zhejiang) also mentioned his mother, uncles and other female family members in "Biji". They all showered their hair on Chinese Valentine's Day. This custom is probably related to the belief in "holy water" on the Chinese Valentine's Day.
People believe that taking spring water and river water on Qixi Festival is like taking milky water, which has the sacred power of cleansing. In some places, it is directly called "Tian Sun (i.e. Weaver Girl) Holy Water". Therefore, it has a special meaning for women to wash their hair on this day. It means that if you use the holy water from the Milky Way to clean your hair, you will surely receive the protection of the Goddess Weaver.
It is also popular to use a basin to catch dew. It is said that the dew during the Chinese Valentine's Day is the tears of the Cowherd and the Weaver Girl when they meet. If it is applied on the eyes and hands, it can make people's eyes sharp and their hands sharp.
Jiaodong——Worship the Seventh Sister God
In Jiaodong area, worshiping the Seventh Sister God is more common on Chinese Valentine's Day. Young women put on new clothes and gathered together happily. They formed an alliance with the seven sisters in the court and sang a ballad: "Emperor of Heaven, Emperor of Earth, I invite the Seven Sisters to go to heaven. I don't care about your needles, I don't care about your threads, but you are seventy-two. Such a good method. "In many places, "Qiaohua" is also made. Girls use flour to make cakes and buns with flowers such as peony, lotus, plum, orchid and chrysanthemum (or Qiaoguo), as well as Qiaocai. Malt was cultivated in wine cups (this was the "seed growing" in the Song Dynasty), and clever fruits and vegetables were used to worship the Weaver Girl.
Southwest China - Nail Dyeing
Nail dyeing is a Chinese Valentine's Day custom spread in southwest China. It is also practiced in many counties in Sichuan Province, as well as in Guizhou and Guangdong. Young girls in many areas like to wash their hair with tree sap mixed with water during festivals. Legend has it that not only can they stay young and beautiful, but unmarried women can also find a husband as soon as possible. Dyeing nails with flowers and plants is also a hobby of most women and children in holiday entertainment, and it is also closely related to fertility beliefs.
Guangzhou - Welcoming Immortals
Guangzhou’s Qiqiao Festival is unique. Before the festival arrives, girls prepare various kinds of beggings using colored paper, grass, strings, etc. A strange gadget, you can also put grain seeds and mung beans in a small box and soak them in water to germinate them. When the sprouts grow to more than two inches long, they are used to worship gods. They are called "worshiping grass" and "worshiping vegetables". ". Starting from the sixth night to the seventh night, for two consecutive nights, the girls put on new clothes and new jewelry. After everything was arranged, they burned incense and lit candles and knelt down to the stars, which was called "welcoming the immortals". On the fifth watch, you have to pray seven times in a row. After worshiping the immortals, the girls hold colored threads in front of the lamp and thread the threads through the needle holes. Those who can pass through seven needle holes in one breath are called skillful and are called skillful hands. Those who cannot pass through seven needle holes are called losers. . After Chinese Valentine's Day, girls give each other small crafts and toys they made to show friendship.
Shaanxi - ligation of Qiaogu
In the Loess Plateau area of ??Shaanxi, there is also the custom of holding various begging activities on the night of the Chinese Valentine's Day. Women often have to sterilize straw men in colorful clothes. The so-called Qiaogu not only provides melons and fruits, but also plants bean sprouts and green onions. On the night of Chinese Valentine's Day, the women of each family hold a bowl of water, cut bean sprouts and green onions, put them into the water, and use them to watch the shadows cast by the moon. Come to divination the fate of clever people, and also thread the needle and thread to compete for the top. At the same time, there was also an activity of cutting window grilles to show skill.
Guangxi - Storing water on the Chinese Valentine's Day
In some areas of Guangxi, there is a custom of storing water on the Chinese Valentine's Day. It is believed that bathing in the water on the Double Seventh Festival can ward off disasters and cure diseases. Frail and sick children also often take a bath here. The red-headed rope is knotted in seven knots and worn around the neck to pray for health and good fortune.
Shandong - Planting clever vegetables to make clever flowers
There are two activities in Rongcheng, Shandong, one is "Qiao Cai", that is, girls cultivate malt in wine glasses, and the other is "Qiao Cai". "Qiaohua" is also a variety of food with flowers molded by girls out of flour.
Shaoxing - Listening to whispers under the pumpkin shed
In rural Shaoxing, there will be many girls secretly hiding under the lush pumpkin shed that night. If they can listen in the dead of night, To the whispers of the Cowherd and the Weaver Girl when they meet, the girl to be married will be able to get this thousand-year-old love in the future.