What is the origin of the Qixi Festival?
The seventh day of the seventh lunar month is the Qixi Festival, also known as the Begging for Skills Festival or the Seven Skills Festival. The Qixi Festival originated in the Han Dynasty and is a traditional cultural festival in China and other countries in the Chinese character culture circle. It originated from the worship of nature and women's skillful needlework, and later was given the legend of the Cowherd and the Weaver Girl, making it a symbol of love.
Does the Qixi Festival have an influence abroad?
Japan
Japanese people, influenced by Chinese culture, also have a tradition of celebrating the Qixi Festival, which they call "Qixi Matsuri." The Japanese "Qixi Festival" originated from China, and it is said to have been introduced during the Nara period. From the middle of the Nara period, the imperial court and the upper class in Japan imitated the Tang palace, and the Qixi Matsuri, needle-picking and Qixi poetry meetings became popular. The custom of "begging for skills" continued, but it had nothing to do with love. Originally, the Qixi Festival was on the seventh day of the seventh lunar month, but after the Meiji Restoration, Japan abolished the lunar calendar, so the Japanese Qixi Festival is now celebrated on July 7th of the solar calendar.
Korea Peninsula
In the book "Korean Common Knowledge" by Korean writer Choi Namseon, it is recorded that the Qixi Festival originally came from China and was later introduced to Korea. King Gongyang (the 31st king of Goryeo) and his Mongolian queen worshipped the Cowherd and the Weaver Star together on that day and gave salaries to officials.
The most representative custom of the Qixi Festival in South Korea is to pray to the Weaver Star, hoping to have the same dexterous hands and better weaving skills as the Weaver Girl. On that day, women place melons, cucumbers, and other fruits on the table and kneel to pray, hoping that women's weaving skills will improve.
Another important event of the Qixi Festival in South Korea is the ceremony. The ceremonies can be divided into family ceremonies and group ceremonies. Korean women place clean well water on the altar. The Cowherd and the Weaver Star are no longer the objects of worship, and they mainly pray for the safety of relatives and friends. Some places hold field ceremonies to pray for a bountiful harvest.
South Korean Qixi food also has its own requirements. Traditional foods include noodles, wheat pancakes, and steamed cakes.
Vietnam
In Vietnam, the main celebrators of the Qixi Festival are the Chinese community. The Qixi Festival has another name ——"The Day of Ox Man and Ox Woman". On this day, people go to temples to make wishes. The offerings used by the Chinese community in Ho Chi Minh City for the Qixi Festival mainly follow the customs of southern China, including lotus seeds, chess cookies, money cookies, peanuts, and two items related to the legend of the Cowherd and the Weaver Girl: "rice seedlings" and a "Seven Sisters Plate". Young people participating in the activities also write down their expectations for love on a piece of paper and make wishes during the ceremony, hoping for a happy family in the future.
Japanese people, influenced by Chinese culture, also have a tradition of celebrating the Qixi Festival, which they call "Qixi Matsuri." The Japanese "Qixi Festival" originated from China, and it is said to have been introduced during the Nara period. From the middle of the Nara period, the imperial court and the upper class in Japan imitated the Tang palace, and the Qixi Matsuri, needle-picking and Qixi poetry meetings became popular. The custom of "begging for skills" continued, but it had nothing to do with love. Originally, the Qixi Festival was on the seventh day of the seventh lunar month, but after the Meiji Restoration, Japan abolished the lunar calendar, so the Japanese Qixi Festival is now celebrated on July 7th of the solar calendar.
Korea Peninsula
In the book "Korean Common Knowledge" by Korean writer Choi Namseon, it is recorded that the Qixi Festival originally came from China and was later introduced to Korea. King Gongyang (the 31st king of Goryeo) and his Mongolian queen worshipped the Cowherd and the Weaver Star together on that day and gave salaries to officials.
The most representative custom of the Qixi Festival in South Korea is to pray to the Weaver Star, hoping to have the same dexterous hands and better weaving skills as the Weaver Girl. On that day, women place melons, cucumbers, and other fruits on the table and kneel to pray, hoping that women's weaving skills will improve.
Another important event of the Qixi Festival in South Korea is the ceremony. The ceremonies can be divided into family ceremonies and group ceremonies. Korean women place clean well water on the altar. The Cowherd and the Weaver Star are no longer the objects of worship, and they mainly pray for the safety of relatives and friends. Some places hold field ceremonies to pray for a bountiful harvest.
South Korean Qixi food also has its own requirements. Traditional foods include noodles, wheat pancakes, and steamed cakes.
Vietnam
In Vietnam, the main celebrators of the Qixi Festival are the Chinese community. The Qixi Festival has another name ——"The Day of Ox Man and Ox Woman". On this day, people go to temples to make wishes. The offerings used by the Chinese community in Ho Chi Minh City for the Qixi Festival mainly follow the customs of southern China, including lotus seeds, chess cookies, money cookies, peanuts, and two items related to the legend of the Cowherd and the Weaver Girl: "rice seedlings" and a "Seven Sisters Plate". Young people participating in the activities also write down their expectations for love on a piece of paper and make wishes during the ceremony, hoping for a happy family in the future.
