The Origin of Qixi Festival and the Cultural Gene of Star Worship
The name "Qixi" can be traced back to the star worship in the pre-Qin period.
In "Xia Xiaozheng", there is a record such as "July, at dusk, the Vega is due east." This is an original celestial record that the ancients used to observe the changes in the position of the Vega to mark the season.
In the Han Dynasty, documents such as the "Four People's Monthly Order" and "Xijing Miscellaneous Notes" began to have the custom of drying scriptures and worshiping the stars on July 7. At this time, the legends related to the Chinese Valentine's Day and Altair and Vega began to be deeply integrated.
This method of linking astrological mythology with secular life established the cultural core of the Qixi Festival's "reception between heaven and man" and provided future generations of literati with an eternal motif of looking up at the stars and questioning emotions.
The historical evolution and folk custom evolution of the Qixi Festival from the Han and Wei dynasties to the Tang and Song dynasties
During the Wei, Jin, Southern and Northern Dynasties, the customs of the Chinese Valentine's Day were finalized. "Jingchu Suishiji" describes in detail, showing the scenes of women setting up colored towers, the activities of women passing through seven-hole needles, and the lively scene of women displaying various fruits and melons to beg for skill. The act of "begging for skill" has become the core ritual of this festival.
During the Sui and Tang Dynasties, the power of the country reached its peak, and the celebrations held on the Chinese Valentine's Day became more and more luxurious. Begging feasts were popular in the court and among the people. The legend that Emperor Xuanzong of the Tang Dynasty and Concubine Yang swore an oath in the Palace of Eternal Life added an emotional dimension to the Chinese Valentine's Day represented by "each other's oath".
During the Song Dynasty, the urban economy showed a prosperous trend, and the Qixi Festival developed in the direction of urbanization. "Tokyo Menghualu" records that a "Qiqiao Market" was set up in the capital, where seasonal toys such as "Mohele" were sold. The festival changed from a simple star worship to a comprehensive folk celebration integrating commerce, entertainment and social interaction.
Etiquette norms and regional practices of traditional begging rituals
In the long process of historical development and evolution, Qixi Festival has built a strict and complex folk etiquette system.
The core ritual of "begging for skill" is full of women's prayers for exquisite beauties and perfect wisdom. Its forms have different characteristics due to regional differences.
The "Begging for Skills in Rafter Boxes" popular in the Jiangnan water towns relies on watching the shadows with needles floating on the water film to judge skillfulness. However, in the Lingnan area, grand sacrificial activities such as "Putting Qiniangs" and "Worship Immortals" have sprung up. The sophistication of the offerings and the solemn atmosphere of the ceremony show the deep soil of folk belief.
In addition, there are behaviors of exposing books and clothes during the Chinese Valentine's Day, the purpose of which is to get rid of beetles, and there is also the custom of dyeing nails with impatiens. These ritual processes together build a multi-dimensional cultural space of the Chinese Valentine's Day.
The cultural spiritual core and contemporary value connotation of Qixi Festival
The reason why the Qixi Festival can travel through thousands of years and remain endless is that it contains profound cultural spirit.
It extols the concept of steadfast love that does not require daily companionship even if separated for a long time, just because of true love. It also entrusts the pure desire of ancient women to improve themselves and pursue happiness with all their strength.
From a more macro perspective, the legend of the Cowherd and the Weaver Girl highlights the simple ideals of ordinary people for labor, love, and family in a farming civilization. Its core ethical content of "valuing love and keeping promises" is closely related to the traditional and beautiful virtues of the Chinese nation.
Based on contemporary society, an in-depth exploration of the contemporary value of Chinese Valentine's Day plays a certain role in re-constructing the emotional bonds of modern people, and can also promote a healthy and civilized view of family, marriage and love.
The contemporary inheritance and innovative transformation of Qixi Festival
Entering the new era, the Chinese Valentine's Day is an important part of the traditional festivals of the Chinese nation and is undergoing a process of inheritance, innovation and transformation in the contemporary era.
On the one hand, various places have organized Hanfu garden activities, intangible cultural heritage display activities, group weddings and other related activities to re-integrate the ancient custom of begging for art into modern life; on the other hand, academic circles and the media are also working hard to carry out academic interpretations of Qixi culture, removing the feudal dross and extracting the cultural orthodoxy and artistic essence.
This path of development in preservation and innovation in inheritance not only allows the Qixi Festival to show new vitality in the digital era, but also strengthens the cultural consciousness and cultural confidence of all Chinese people, making this traditional festival that carries the romantic feelings and rational philosophy of the Chinese nation an important cultural business card that tells the story of China to the world.
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