Chinanews client, Beijing, August 25th (Reporter Shangguanyun) In recent days, Qixi Festival has undoubtedly been a hot topic. Young people have enjoyed a dating festival, and many businesses are also aiming for business opportunities, hoping to take the opportunity to make a lot of money.
Today, Qixi Festival is often regarded as "Chinese Valentine's Day". Speaking of it, since ancient times, it is indeed an extremely romantic festival, including the theme of love, and its connotations are far more extensive than many people understand.
Cold Knowledge One: Why is Qixi Festival also called "Girls' Day"?
The Qixi Festival originated in China on the seventh day of the seventh lunar month.
Data map: As the traditional Chinese Qixi Festival approaches, Huangling in Wuyuan, Jiangxi Province takes "begging for cleverness" as the theme, returning to the traditional festival's original intention to hold "Magpie Bridge Meeting", "Niulangxibian Weaver Girl" and other activities to welcome Qixi Festival. Photo by Wang Jian
There are many names for this festival. In ancient times, the main participants in some of its activities were girls, and the content of the festival activities was mainly about begging for cleverness, so people called this day "Qiao Qiao Festival" or "Girls' Day" or "Girl's Day".
Due to the long history of festivals, various customs such as survival and seeking children have been formed. Many interesting riddles have also been derived. For example, there is a riddle titled "Moon Luliang night to worship Kuixing, and it is not too late for Lao Niu to celebrate his birthday". The answer is "Chinese Valentine's Day".
Cold knowledge two: What does it have to do with the legend of the Cowherd and the Weaver Girl?
There is a beautiful legend about Qixi Festival, that is the love story of Cowherd and Weaver Girl. In "Sou Shen Ji", the heavenly Cowherd and Weaver Girl double stars are interpreted as the story of the filial son Dong Yong and his wife in the Han Dynasty.
However, this legend occurred on the seventh day of the seventh month of the lunar calendar, and it was also related to the observation of the actions of Vega and Altair (Alternation) by ancient people, and the ancients could understand the arrival of autumn.
According to ancient records, on the evening of July, Vega just ascended to the highest point of the year, which was clearly visible. In addition, the position of the two darker stars next to Vega resembles one opening to the east. Looking east, you can see the Altair star.
Therefore, based on various data, some people believe that the legend of the Cowherd and Weaver Girl will meet during the Qixi Festival, which is also related to the observation of the season and the astronomical scene.
Data map: The vegetation on the field in Hengxi Street, Jiangning, Nanjing, was carefully made by local villagers, using shrubs, rape, and wheat to compose the "Dong Yong and Seven Fairies Meeting the Magpie Bridge". Photo by China News Agency reporter Yang Bo
Cold knowledge three: Is this a holiday for single women?
Today, Qixi Festival is known as "Chinese Valentine's Day". But there was also a view that this was originally a holiday for single women.
This view believes that in ancient China, the Qixi Festival should be the happiest day for single women: at this time, they can go out and have fun with their sisters in costumes.
Folklore expert Wang Juan said that this statement is not very accurate. In ancient times, one of the main contents of the Qixi Festival was Qiqiao, and most of the unmarried girls celebrated this festival. In some areas, the coming-of-age ceremony is held for girls on this day.
Cold knowledge four: How to "beg for cleverness" in the "Qiao Qiao Festival"?
Speaking of the theme of Qixi’s "begging for cleverness", the more popular games include piercing a needle for cleverness, and the spider ying clever.
Needle-piercing and begging for cleverness began in the Han Dynasty, and is especially popular in later generations. "Xijing Miscellaneous Notes" said: "Han Cai women often wear seven-hole needles in Kaijinlou on July 7th, and people learn to practice it."
Another method is to "float the needle". Wang Juan introduced that the girls would prepare a basin of water a day in advance and put them in the courtyard, and there would be floating dust on the water the next day. Then, the girls put the needle in and watched the projection of the needle after the sun came out.
Data map: The picture shows the people experiencing the skill of throwing needles.
Later, "Qiao Qiao" gradually emphasized women's participation. In ancient times, girls worshiped the Weaver Girl, also "seeking cleverness." Sometimes girls with dexterity are selected through some competitive activities.
Cold Knowledge Five: Why do you hang books and clothes at this time?
In addition to various legends, there was also the custom of drying books and clothes at this time.
Liu Yiqing's "Shi Shuo Xin Yu" records anecdotes about some famous scholars from the late Eastern Han Dynasty to the Wei and Jin Dynasties. There is a very interesting story mentioned: On July 7, Hao Long, a celebrity in the Eastern Jin Dynasty, ran to lie under the sun.
Someone asked him, why did he do this? Hao Long said, "I'll publish the book," and he secretly poked to show off his knowledge.
Drying books and clothes on July 7 was originally a custom. During the Wei and Jin dynasties, some wealthy families in Beiruan would also take the opportunity to "show off their wealth". The clothes they dried out were particularly good in texture and dazzling.
Ruan Xian is one of the "seven sages of the bamboo forest", and he calmly took a bamboo pole to carry an old clothes to dry. When others saw it, he was very curious, but he said, "I can't avoid the vulgar, talk about it."
Cold Knowledge Six: The most famous seasonal food "Qiao Guo"
Just like the dumplings in the winter solstice and the youth group during the Qingming Festival, there are also seasonal foods on the Qixi Festival. The most famous one is called Qiaoguo. Qiaoguo is mainly made with oily noodles, molasses, etc. There are many tricks.
Data map: The picture shows the girls in Hanfu showing the most traditional festival cultural content of the Qixi Festival-offering sacrifices to the stars and begging for cleverness. Photo by China News Agency reporter Liu Kegeng
In ancient times, Qiaoguo had many nice names, such as "Xiao Weier" and "Fruit Food Pattern", and the pictures included Na Xiang and Fang Sheng. In the Song Dynasty, Qixi Fruits were already available on the market.
Mix the white sugar syrup with flour and sesame seeds, mix well and spread it on the cutting board to defend thin...After a series of processes such as frying, the fruit is ready. Ingenious women can make Qiao Guo into various shapes related to the legend of Tanabata.
Of course, different dynasties in history also had different food customs on the Qixi Festival. There is a saying in "Tang Liudian" that "July 7th is added to the cake".
Cold Knowledge Seven: Can Qixi Festival say "Happy Holidays"?
In general, the connotation of Qixi Festival is much richer than "love", with a variety of content including praying for children, begging for cleverness, and praying for a good harvest.
Qixi Festival is undoubtedly an auspicious festival, and people will send blessings to lovers on this day. Perhaps considering the theme of holiday love, some people ridicule, it is not suitable to say "Happy Holidays" to singles.
"On the Qixi Festival, it is okay to say that it is a happy holiday." Wang Juan thinks, but this is indeed a holiday for some people, but there is no need to mention the festival. (Finish)