7.7, Tanabata
The seventh day of the seventh lunar month is Seven Sisters's birthday in the traditional sense. Because the sacrificial ceremony was held on the evening of July in the lunar calendar, it was named "Qixi". The seventh day of the seventh lunar month is a traditional festival with a long history in China. Worship Seven Sisters, pray for blessings, seek skills, sit and watch cowherd and weaver girl, pray for marriage, and store Tanabata water, which is the traditional custom of Tanabata. Valentine's Day in China is not only a festival to worship Seven Sisters, but also a festival of love. It is a comprehensive festival with the folk custom of "Cowherd and Weaver Girl" as the carrier, with the theme of blessing, begging and courtship, and women as the main body.
Tanabata text edition
The origin of Tanabata Festival
1. It comes from people's worship of nature.
According to historical documents, at least three or four thousand years ago, with people's understanding of astronomy and the emergence of textile technology, there have been records about Altair Vega. People worship the stars far more than Altair and Vega. They think that there are seven stars representing the direction in the east, west, north and south, which are collectively called Twenty-eight Nights. The Big Dipper is the brightest and can be used to tell the direction at night. The first star of the Big Dipper is called Kuixing, also known as the champion. Later, with the imperial examination system, the middle school champion was named "the world's most prestigious scholar", and scholars called Tanabata "Kuixing Festival", also known as "Book-drying Festival", which preserved the trace that the earliest Tanabata came from the worship of stars.
Hold a rose in your hand.
2. The source of ancient people's worship of time.
"Seven" and "period" are homophonic, and both the month and the day are "seven", which gives people a sense of time. In ancient China, the sun, the moon, the five elements, water, fire, wood, gold and earth were collectively called "seven obsidians". The number "seven" is manifested in stages in time among the people, and "July 7th" is often the last one in calculating time. In old Beijing, when doing Dojo for the dead, it is always perfect to do July 7th. The modern "seven obscenities" for calculating "Zhou" are still reserved in Japanese. "July 7th" and "auspicious" are homophonic, and "July 7th" has double auspicious meanings. This is an auspicious day. In Taiwan Province Province, July is called "the month that brings good luck and happiness". 77 years old is also called "Happy Birthday" because its cursive script looks like "77".
It comes from the worship of numbers.
Ancient folks listed the first day of the first month, March 3, May 5, July 7 and September 9, plus the "30% discount" on February 2, and the multiples of June 6 and March 3 as auspicious days. "Seven" is the number of beads in each column of the abacus, which is romantic and rigorous, giving people a mysterious aesthetic feeling. "Seven" and "wife" are homophonic, so Qixi has largely become a festival related to women.
a bunch of flowers
What to eat on Tanabata?
Suitable fruit
Proper fruit is the most famous food for Valentine's Day in China. Serious fruit, also called begging for fruit, has many styles. "Begging for Fruits" is a traditional sacrifice and beauty spot for Valentine's Day in China.
On the night of Tanabata, people bring "Begging for Qiaoguo" into the yard, and the whole family sits around and tastes the craftsmanship of Begging for Qiaoguo. Nowadays, this custom has not spread in many places, and the traditional food "begging for clever fruit" has also evolved into cakes of various colors.
Crispy candy
In some pastry shops in China, on this day, some candies with the image of Weaver Girl, commonly known as "capable people" and "Su Qiao", are also called "sending capable people" when they are sold. People believe that people who eat this kind of candy will become handy.
Qiaofan
In Shandong, China, you must eat Jojo's meal on this day. The flattering custom is very interesting.
Seven good girls collect grains and vegetables. Jiaozi wrapped a copper coin, a needle and a red date with three jiaozi. After begging, they get together to eat jiaozi. It is said that those who get money are blessed, those who get needles are skilled, and those who get dates get married early.
melons and fruit
In Fujian and Tanabata, let the Weaver Girl enjoy and taste the fruit, and let her wish a bumper harvest in the coming year. The products provided include tea, wine, fresh fruits, hazelnuts (longan, red dates, hazelnuts, peanuts and melon seeds), flowers and pollen of female cosmetics. Generally, after fasting and bathing, everyone takes turns to burn incense and worship the table to pray silently.