2024年4月23日发(作者：)

七夕(Double Seventh Festival)的由来

Chinese Valentine's Day 七夕节民间典故

The Double Seventh Festival, on the 7th day of the 7th lunar month, is a

traditional festival full of romance. It often goes into August in the Gregorian

calendar

This festival is in mid-summer when the weather is warm and the grass and

trees reveal their luxurious greens. At night when the sky is dotted with stars, and

people can see the Milky Way spanning from the north to the south. On each bank

of it is a bright star, which see each other from afar. They are the Cowherd and

Weaver Maid, and about them there is a beautiful love story passed down from

generation to generation.

Long, long ago, there was an honest and kind-hearted fellow named Niu Lang

(Cowhand). His parents died when he was a child. Later he was driven out of his

home by his sister-in-law. So he lived by himself herding cattle and farming. One

day, a fairy from heaven Zhi Nu (Weaver Maid) fell in love with him and came down

secretly to earth and married him. The cowhand farmed in the field and the

Weaver Maid wove at home. They lived a happy life and gave birth to a boy and a

girl. Unfortunately, the God of Heaven soon found out the fact and ordered the

Queen Mother of the Western Heavens to bring the Weaver Maid back.

With the help of celestial cattle, the Cowhand flew to heaven with his son and

daughter. At the time when he was about to catch up with his wife, the Queen

Mother took off one of her gold hairpins and made a stroke. One billowy river

appeared in front of the Cowhand. The Cowhand and Weaver Maid were separated

on the two banks forever and could only feel their tears. Their loyalty to love

touched magpies, so tens of thousands of magpies came to build a bridge for the

Cowhand and Weaver Maid to meet each other. The Queen Mother was eventually

moved and allowed them to meet each year on the 7th of the 7th lunar month.

Hence their meeting date has been called "Qi Xi" (Double Seventh).

Scholars have shown the Double Seventh Festival originated from the Han

Dynasty (206 BC-AD220). Historical documents from the Eastern Jin Dynasty

(AD371-420) mention the festival, while records from the Tang Dynasty (618-907)

depict the grand evening banquet of Emperor Taizong and his concubines. By the

Song (960-1279) and Yuan (1279-1368) dynasties, special articles for the "Qi Xi"

were seen being sold on markets in the capital. The bustling markets

demonstrated the significance of the festival.