Chinese Valentine's Day customs

The Chinese Valentine's Day is also known as the Qiqiao Festival and the Women's Day. It originated from the worship of stars and is the Qixi Festival in the traditional sense, because it is held every year on the seventh day of July, also known as Qixi Festival. Later, people added the legend of the Cowherd and the Weaver Girl, and the Qixi Festival began to become a symbol of love and became the "Chinese Valentine's Day". The customs of the Chinese Valentine's Day are rich and colorful. Let's take a look at them below.

1. Worship the Seventh Sister

On the day before the Chinese Valentine's Day, girls use grass, colored paper, sesame seeds, rice grains, etc. to make various flowers, fruits, ladies, utensils, etc. Palace model. Various brightly colored incense tables were placed to pay homage to the Seventh Sister from afar.

Seventh Sister is the incarnation of Vega, known among the people as Seven Star Empress and Seventh Mother. She is the patron saint of textile workers, lovers, women and children. Most of the customs of Qixi Festival are derived from the Seventh Sister. July 7th is her birthday. Offering sacrifices and praying on this day will have unexpected effects. On this day, people eat peanuts and melon seeds while looking towards the constellation Vega and silently reflect on their thoughts. Girls pray to be beautiful or marry a good man, and young women hope to have a son soon.

2. Threading needles and begging for skills

"Xijing Miscellanies" says: "Hancai women often pierce seven-hole needles in Kaijinlou on July 7th, and people will practice it."

Because the Seventh Sister is responsible for weaving clouds in the sky, on this day folk women compete in knotting colorful threads and threading seven-hole needles. Thread the thread through seven pinholes, and whoever has the fastest speed will win in the end. If the speed is slow, it is called "losing skill". The person who "loses luck" must give a gift prepared in advance to the person who wins luck. This is another meaning besides love on Chinese Valentine's Day.

Women must have their own craftsmanship and their own means of making a living. Only in this way can a person live with more confidence. This was a rare competitive activity for ancient women, and it was also the foundation of their status in feudal society.

3. Seeking seeds from seeds

A few days before Chinese Valentine's Day, girls will put grain seeds and mung beans into small boxes to soak them to germinate. When the buds grow to two inches, they are tied into a bunch with red and blue silk ropes, which is called "seed-growing", also called "five-life pot" or "flower-flower pot".

Some people also let women buy wax baby dolls and let them float in the water and soil, thinking that they are good luck for their children, which is called "huasheng". The seventh sister is the patron saint of children, so it is a perfect day to pray for a child. Contained in this are the ancients’ prayers for their children to be blessed, and also the Chinese people’s wishes for peace and health.

4. Worship Kuixing

The first star of the Big Dipper is called Kuixing, also known as the leader. July 7th is not only the seventh sister’s birthday, but also Kuixing’s birthday. Kuixing is the god in the hearts of Chinese scholars. He dominates the rise and fall of articles. In the minds of ancient students, Kuixing has the supreme status. Therefore, on Qixi Festival, students will prepare incense tables, burn incense and pray, hoping that Kuixing will bless them with good luck in examinations.

5. Worshiping the Bed Mother

In addition to worshiping the Qiniang on Chinese Valentine's Day, those with children at home also worship the Bed Mother. On the Chinese Valentine's Day, the ancients would sacrifice rice, chicken wine (or sesame oil chicken), and burn "Sifang Jin" and "bed mother's clothes" to pray to the bed mother to protect her children from growing up healthily.

In ancient times, there were no vaccines and poor medical conditions. Many children did not live to adulthood, so there was a custom of asking bed mothers for protection, which relieved women’s anxiety to a certain extent. In order to prevent bed mothers from being overly pampered, Boy, this kind of sacrifice usually lasts for a short time.

If there are frail and sick children at home, parents will tie seven knots on a red-headed rope and wear it around the child's neck on this day to pray to God to bless the child's health and longevity.

Through historical development, the Chinese Valentine's Day has been endowed with the beautiful love legend of the "Cowherd and the Weaver Girl", making it a festival symbolizing love. It is therefore considered the most romantic traditional festival in China, and it has become even more popular in contemporary times. Understand the cultural meaning of "Chinese Valentine's Day".