Incense Bridge Ceremony
In Yixing, Jiangsu Province, there is a tradition of the Qixi Incense Bridge Ceremony. Every year on Qixi, people gather to build an incense bridge. An incense bridge is made of various long wrapped incense sticks (incense sticks wrapped in paper), forming a bridge about four to five meters long and half a meter wide, with railings decorated with colorful silk flowers. At night, people offer sacrifices to the two stars, pray for blessings, and then burn the incense bridge, symbolizing that the two stars have crossed the incense bridge and joyfully met. This incense bridge is derived from the legend of the鹊桥 (magpie bridge).
Collecting Dew
In Zhejiang countryside, it is customary to collect dew in a basin. According to legend, the dew on Qixi is the tears of the Cowherd and the Weaving Maid when they meet. Applying it to the eyes and hands can make one's eyesight sharp and hands quick.
The Qixi Festival is known as the "Bai Qijie" (Worship of the Seven Sisters) in Guangdong, and as the "Bai Qiniangma" (Worship of the Seven Mothers) in Fujian and Taiwan. Before the founding of the People's Republic of China, "Qixi" was a grand festival for beautiful women. In the old days, young women would "beg for skill" from the Seven Sisters, praying for her to teach them skilled techniques, but this so-called "begging for skill" was actually just a "competition of skill".
Competition of Skill
Qixi competition of skill involves various methods to determine the skill level of participants, such as "threading needles to beg for skill", "spider's web as a sign of skill", "threading needles under the moonlight", "losing skill", "Lan Night Competition of Skill", and "testing skill by dropping a needle".
Thread Needle to Beg for Skill
Thread needle to beg for skill, also called "skill competition", refers to women competing to thread needles. They tie colored threads and thread seven-hole needles. The faster one threads the needle, the more skill she is said to have acquired. The slower one is called "losing skill," and the person who loses must give a gift prepared beforehand to the winner. According to "Xijing Zaji" (Miscellaneous Records of the Western Capital), it says: "On the seventh day of the seventh month, Han dynasty girls often threaded seven-hole needles on the balcony, and people all practiced it."
Threading Needles Under the Moonlight
"Threading Needles Under the Moonlight" refers to the custom on the evening of the seventh day of the seventh lunar month, when every household cleans their courtyard. Young women and girls first sincerely kneel before the Weaving Star, begging the Weaving Star to bless them with a clever mind and skillful hands. Then, they take out the five-color silk thread and seven silver needles they prepared in advance, and thread the needles under the moonlight. Whoever finishes threading the seven needles first is believed to be destined to become a skillful woman.
Spider Web as a Sign of Skill
"Spider Web as a Sign of Skill" is an early form of begging for skill. This custom appeared slightly later than threading needles to beg for skill, and it began roughly during the Southern and Northern Dynasties. According to "Jingchu Suishi Ji" (Customs of the Jingchu Region) by Liang Zonglin of the Southern Dynasty, it says: "On that night, fruits and melons are placed in the courtyard to beg for skill. If a spider web appears on the fruit, it is considered a sign of response."
Testing Skill by Dropping a Needle
"Testing Skill by Dropping a Needle" is a variation of the custom of threading needles to beg for skill. It originated from threading needles but differs from it, being popular during the Ming and Qing dynasties. The method of testing skill by dropping a needle involves preparing a basin and placing it in the courtyard, then pouring "mandarin duck water" — mixing water collected during the day and at night.
Losers of Skill
"Losing skill" refers to those who fail to thread the needle on Qixi. After worshipping the celestial beings, the girls hold colored threads and try to thread them through the eye of a needle under the light. If someone can thread seven needles in one breath, they are considered to have gained skill and are called a skillful woman. Those who cannot thread seven needles are called "losers of skill."
Lan Night Competition of Skill
Lan Night Competition of Skill is a game. In ancient times, July was called "Lan Month," and the night of the seventh day of the seventh lunar month was called "Lan Night." Five-color threads are tied together, which is called "mutual affection." Women gather on the closed balcony to learn how to thread the seven-skill needles to beg for skill.
Begging for Love
On clear summer and autumn nights, the stars shine brightly across the sky, and a Milky Way stretches from north to south. On either side of the Milky Way, there are two bright stars shining, facing each other from afar — these are the Cowherd Star and the Weaving Star. Later, the Weaving Star evolved into a goddess in mythology, known as the Seven Sisters, the Heavenly Fairy Mother, and the Seven Mothers, who is the guardian of weaving clouds, lovers, women, and children. Countless couples will look up at the stars on the Qixi night and pray to the Weaving Star for a happy love life.