The Double Seventh Festival is on the 7th day of the 7th lunar month,also known as the Beggar Festival or the Daughters Festival. It is the most romantic festival and is considered the Chinese Valentine's Day.According to the legend every year on the night of the 7th day of the 7th lunar month, a weaving maid from the heaven would meet with a young cowherd on a bridge built by magpies over the Milky Way. The weaving maid was a very smart fairy. Every year on this night many women would ask her for wisdom and skills,as well as a happy marriage.
History and legends of the Double Seventh Festival
The Double Seventh Festival was evolved from the legend of the weaving maid and the cowherd, a love folktale told over thousands of years.A long time ago, in the Niu (Cow) village of the Nanyang town a young cowherd named Niu Lang lived with his brother and sister-in-law after his parents died. His sister-in-law treated him badly asking him to do a lot of hard work.One autumn she asked him to herd nine cows,but demanded to have ten cows back. Niu Lang sat under a tree worrying what he could do to bring ten cows back to her.A white-haired old man appeared before him and asked him why he looked so worried. After hearing his story, the old man smiled and said, "Don't worry,There is a sick cow in the Funiu Mountain.If you take good care of the cow, she would get better soon and then you could take her home.
Niu Lang climbed all the way to the Funiu Mountain and found the sick cow. The cow told him that she was originally a gray cow immortal from the heaven and had violated the law of the heaven. She broke her leg while in exile on the earth and couldn't move. The broken leg needed to be washed with dews from a hundred flowers for a month to get fully recovered. Niu Lang took care of the old cow by getting up early to get dews,washing her wounded leg, feeding her during the day and sleeping beside her at night. After a month the old cow was fully recovered and Niu Lang happily went home with ten cows.
Back home his sister-in-law didn't treat him any better and eventually drove him out. Niu Lang didn't take anything except the old cow..
One day, Zhi Nv, a weaving maid. known as the 7th fairy and six other fairies came down to earth to play and take bath in the river. With the help of the old cow. Niu Lang met Zhi Nv and they fell in love at the first sight. Later Zhi Nv often came down to earth and became Niu Lang's wife. They had a son and a daughter and lived happily together.But the God of Heaven soon knew about their marriage. The Goddess of Heaven came down herself to take Zhi Nv back to heaven. This loving couple was forced to separate from each other.
The old cow told Niu Lang that she would die soon and after her death Niu Lang could use her skin to make a pair of leather shoes so that he could go after Zhi Nv with these magical shoes. Following her instructions Niu Lang put on the leather shoes, took their two children and chased after Zhi Nv in the heaven. Before they could catch up with Zhi Nv, the Goddess of Heaven took out her hairpin and drew a wide, rough river in the sky to separate the couple. The could only watch each other on each side of the river with tears in their eyes. Touched by their love, thousands of magpies flew over to form a bridge on the river so that they could meet on the bridge. The Goddess of Heaven couldn't stop them. Reluctantly she let them meet once every year on the 7th day of the seventh lunar month.
Later the 7th day of the seventh lunar month became the Chinese Valentine's
Day: The Double Seventh Festival.
Pu Ru cursive script 《QIXI》
Customs of the Double Seventh Festival
The night of the Double Seventh Festival is the time when the moon moves closest to the Milky Way. The moonlight shines on the Milky Way with millions of sparkling stars. This is the best stargazing time. During the Double Seventh Festival the main custom is for young women to pray to the star-studded sky for a good marriage and skillful hands granted bv Zhi Nv. In addition, people also wish for bearing children, good harvests, wealth,longevity and fame.
Food Traditions of the Double Seventh Festival
The food traditions of the Double Seventh Festival varied in different dynasties and regions. But they all have certain connections with praying for skills by
women. In Chinese Qi means praying and Qiao means skills. There are Qiao pastry, Qiao flour figurines, Qiao rice and Qiao soup.
Post time: Jul-28-2022