This is the earliest way of begging for money, which began in the Han Dynasty and spread to later generations. The Xijing Miscellany says: "Han color women often wear seven-hole needles on the seventh day of the seventh month in the Kaixian building, people have to practice." Southern Liang Zongmou "Jing Chu chronicles" said: "July 7, is the evening of the women of the family color building to wear seven holes outside, or to gold, silver, stone for the needle." Yiyizi Zhi" said: "Qi Wudi up layer of the city view, July 7, the palace more than boarding the needle. The world called the needle piercing building." Fifth Wang Renyu "Kaiyuan Tianbao remains" said: "Tanabata, the palace to brocade knot building hall, 100 feet high, on the can win dozens of people, Chen to fruits and wine sizzling, set up seating, to sacrifice the cow female two stars, concubines to nine-hole needle five-color line to the moon to wear, over the person who has been clever of the marquis. Move the song of the Qing Shang, feast music up to the end of the day. The soil people's homes all follow the example." Yuan Tao Zongyi "Yuan's Yatei Records" said: "nine cited Taiwan, Tanabata begging for coquettish place. To the evening, the courtesans on stage to colorful silk wearing nine-tailed needle, the first to finish the coquettish, late finishers called the loss of coquettish, each funded to give the coquettish." Pleasant spider should be clever This is also an earlier way of begging for coquettish, its custom a little later than the needle begging for coquettish, roughly in the North and South Dynasties. In the Southern Dynasty, Liang Zong懔《荆楚岁時記》said: "On the eve of this year, melons and fruits are displayed in the court to beg for coquettish gifts. If there is a net on the melon, then it is considered a charm." Wang Renyu of the Fifth Generation, "Kaiyuan Tianbao Legacy", said: "July 7, each capture the spider in a small box, to the dawn of the opening; depending on the spider web sparse and dense as the Hou of the coincidence. The dense say more, the sparse say less. Folk also effected" Song Dynasty Meng Yuan Lao "Tokyo Meng Hua Lu" said, July 7 "to small spiders in the Hap Zi, the next day to see, if the web is round is said to get coquettish." Song Zhou Mi, "Qian Chun years and times" said; "to a small spider stored in the Hop, to wait for the sparseness of the web for how long to get coquettish" Ming Tian Rucheng, "Xichao music," said the Tanabata "to a small box to hold the spider, the next morning to see the sparseness of its web for the coquettishness of the more or less." This shows that the method of inspection of different generations, the North and South Dynasties, depending on the presence or absence of the web, the sparseness of the web of the Tang Dynasty, the Song Dynasty, depending on the roundness of the web, the later generations of the Tang custom. Throwing needles to check the coincidence This is a variation of the Tanabata needle threading and begging custom, originating from the needle threading, but different from the needle threading, is the prevalent Tanabata festival custom in the Ming and Qing dynasties. Ming Liu Dong, Yu Yizheng's "Imperial Capital Scenery" said: "" July 7 of the afternoon to throw the needle. Women's exposure to ounces of water in the sun, a short while, the water film surface, embroidery needles cast is floating, look at the bottom of the water needle shadow. There are into the clouds and things flower head bird and animal shadow, there are into the shoes and scissors water eggplant shadow, said begging to get coquettish; its shadow is thick as a hammer, as thin as silk, straight as a shaft of wax, this is a sign of clumsiness carry on." Zhishu Zhili" also said, Liangxiang County (now southwest of Beijing) "July 7, women begging for coquettish, throwing needles in the water, borrowing the sun shadow to check the work, to the night is still begging for coquettish in the weavers," please Yu Minzhong, "the sun under the old news of the Kaohsiung," quoted in "Miscellany of the Wan Agency," said: "Yandu women to the bowl of water in July 7 stormy sun, and each cast a small needle floating in the water, Xu see the bottom of the water, and the water, and the water, and the water. The surface of the water, Xu see the sun under the water. Or scattered as flowers, moving as clouds, as thin as a line, thick rent as a cone, because to divine the female trick." Seed begs for a child Old custom, a few days before Tanabata, first in a small wooden board on a layer of soil, sowing corn seeds, so that it gives birth to green seedlings, and then set some small cottage, flowers and trees in the above, made into a small village of the field house people look like, known as "Shell Plate", or will be mung beans, small beans, wheat, etc., immersed in a magnetic bowl, and so on, and then it grows out of the buds, and then tied with red and blue silk rope, and then the buds, and so on. And then tied into a bundle of red and blue silk rope, known as "seed life", also known as "five pots of life" or "pots of flowers". In the southern part of the country, it is also called "Qiaojiao", and the bean sprouts that grow are called Qiaojiao, and even Qiaojiao is used instead of needles, and thrown on the water surface to beg for coquettishness. Also use wax to shape various images, such as the cowherd, the characters in the story of the weaver, or bald eagles, mandarin ducks, and other animal forms, placed on the water to float, called the "water floating". There are also wax baby dolls for women to buy home to float in the water and soil, thinking that the auspiciousness of the child, known as "Hwa Sang". Offerings "grinding drink music" grinding drink music is the old folk Tanabata Festival children's playthings, that is, the small clay dolls, the image of which is mostly passing the lotus leaf half-arm dress, holding a lotus leaf. July 7 every year, in Kaifeng, "Panlou Street, East Song door tile outside the state, West Liang door tile outside the North Gate, outside the South Zhuquamen outside the street and Ma Hang Street, are sold grinding drink music, is a small plastic doll ear. In fact, a little later in the Song Dynasty after the mill drink music, is no longer a small puppet, on the contrary, the more exquisite. Grinding drink music size, posture varies, the largest as high as three feet, and the real children in the next. The production of materials are carved with ivory or carved with Longyan Buddha's hand incense, grinding drinking music dress up, is extremely exquisite thing, with painted wood carving for the column seat, or with red sand B cage as a cover, the hands of the toys held by the gold, jade and gemstones to decorate, a pair of grinding drinking music cost is often up to thousands of money. [Woof Tanabata Beggar's Tale axle] worship weaver "worship weaver" is purely a young girl, young women. Most of them are in advance and their friends or neighbors about five or six people, as many as ten people, jointly organized. The ceremony is held by setting up a table under the moonlight with tea and wine. Fruit, five children (cinnamon, jujube, hazelnut, peanut, melon seeds) and other offerings; and a few flowers, bundles of red paper, inserted into the bottle, flowers before a small incense burner. Then, about to participate in the worship of the weaving maiden young women, girls, fasting for a day, bathing, punctually to the host's home, in front of the case of incense worship, we sit around the table, one side of the peanuts, melons, one side of the constellation towards the weaving maiden, meditation on their own heart. Such as young girls want to look beautiful or marry a man of their choice, young women want to give birth to a child early, etc., can be to the Weaving Maiden star of silent prayer. Play until midnight to disperse. Worship Kuixing It is said that July 7 is the birthday of Kuixing. Kui Xing literary affairs, want to get the merit of the scholars especially respect Kui Xing, so must be worshipped on the eve of this day, praying for his blessing of their own examination luck. Kui Xing Master is Kui Dou Star, twenty-eight hosts in the Kuixing, for the first star of the Big Dipper seven stars, also Kui Xing or Kui Shou. In ancient times, when a scholar won the Scholarship, he was called "Da Kui Tian Shi" or "Winning the Scholarship in one shot", all because the Kuixing Star was in charge of the examination luck. According to folklore, the Kuixing Master was ugly, with a face full of spots and a limp. Some people wrote a limerick to make fun of him: not Yang why decorate with lead, even if the lead is not covered. I've been married to a nun and I've become a beautiful woman, and I've been in a bee room for a long time. I'm not sure if it's a good idea, but I'm sure it's a good idea for me to be a part of it. The wind blows the plum blossoms on the forehead. The jade toe of Xiangjun is the most bizarre, one step higher and one step lower. The body wants to dance when walking in a graceful manner, and it is like a mouth when floating. It is only because the world is so dangerous that I am tired of seeing all the wonders on the side of the trail. I don't want to laugh at the half-broken waist, but the temporary swaying is also colorful. However, the master of the Kuixing is very ambitious, furious and diligent, and even high school. The emperor's palace examination, asked him why his face is full of spots, he replied: "hemp face full of stars"; asked why his feet limp, he replied: "one-legged jump Dragon Gate". The emperor was satisfied and accepted him. Another completely different legend says that although the Kuixing master was full of learning in his lifetime, but unfortunately he failed every test, so he was so sad that he threw himself into the river to commit suicide. He was unexpectedly rescued by a turtle fish and ascended to heaven to become Kuixing. Since Kuixing can control the luck of the literati, every July 7, his birthday, the readers are solemn worship. Sunshine Book - Sunshine Clothes It is said that Sima Yi was quite jealous of Cao Cao because of his high position and power. In view of the darkness of the politics at that time, he pretended to be crazy and hid in his house in order to protect himself. Emperor Wu of Wei was still not quite at ease, so he sent a close friend to secretly find out the truth. On July 7, Sima Yi was at home, pretending to be crazy. When the historian went back to report to Emperor Wu, he immediately ordered Sima Yi to return to his post, or else he would be taken into custody. Sima Yi only obediently obeyed the order to return to the court. There is another kind of people who, in the chaotic world, express their depression by being unrestrained. They flouted the laws of propriety and opposed the customs of the times. Liu Yiqing's Shishu Xinyi (New Sayings of the World), Volume 25, says that on July 7, everyone sunbathed in books, but only Hao Long ran into the sun to lie down, and when he was asked why, he replied: "I sunbathe in books". On the one hand, this is contempt for the custom of tanning books, on the other hand, it is also boasting of his own belly of talent. Tanning the belly is also tanning the book. The Han Dynasty custom of sunbathing in the Wei and Jin Dynasties for the rich and powerful create an opportunity to boast about their wealth. Ruan Xian, one of the "Seven Sages of the Bamboo Grove", despised this style. On the 7th of July, when his neighbor was drying his clothes, he saw all the silks and satins on the racks, which were glittering and glamorous. Ruan Xian did not panic with a bamboo pole to pick up a worn-out clothes, someone asked him what he was doing, he said: "not immune to the custom, chatting back to the ear!" From these few short stories, it seems to know how prevalent the custom of tanning books and clothes was at that time on the eve of the seventh day of the seventh month. Celebrating the Ox's Birthday Children would pick wildflowers and hang them on the ox's horns on the eve of the seventh day of the seventh month, called "celebrating the ox's birthday" (legend has it that the seventh day of the seventh month is the ox's birthday). Eating Qiaoguo The most famous festival food on Tanabata is Qiaoguo. Qiaojiao, also known as "Begging Fruit", comes in a variety of styles. The main ingredient is oil, flour and molasses. In Tokyo Dreaming Records, it is called "Laughing Aversion" and "Fruit and Food Patterns", and there are patterns such as "Pressing Fragrance" and "Fang Sheng". In the Song Dynasty, there were already Tanabata Qiaoguo for sale on the streets of the city. If you buy a catty coquettish fruit, there will be a pair of armor, such as the god of the door dolls, called "fruit food general". Qiaoguo practice is: first sugar in a pot melted into syrup, and then and into the flour, sesame, mix well and then spread on the case to defend the thin, cooled with a knife and cut into rectangles, sin You folded for the pike-shaped surface Qiao embryo, into the oil deep-fried to golden brown that is. Handy women, but also pinch molded a variety of legends related to the Tanabata pattern. In addition, begging with a variety of variations of fruits and melons can also be used. Or the melon fruit carved into exotic flowers and birds, or in the melon skin surface relief pattern. Qiaojiao and Hua Gua are the most common Tanabata foods. In history, there were different food customs in different dynasties. For example, in the Wei Dynasty, it was popular to serve soup cakes on July 7th. In the Tang Dynasty, the festival food included hacking cakes on July 7, and set July 7 as the Sunshine Book Festival, with the following three provinces and six ministries, each giving a number of gold to prepare for the banquet, known as the "Sunshine Book Club". Tanabata is also a suitable day for dispensing medicine. It is said to be a secret formula using pine and cypress as medicinal materials, and this magical pill is synthesized by blending dew on the seventh day of the seventh month, and taking one pill can extend life by ten years, and taking two pills can extend life by twenty years. In addition, there are also baiting pine nuts, serving cypress seeds, folding lotus leaves, etc., all known as the immortal medicine of immortality. More practical prescriptions are sunshine acacia juice for hemorrhoids, fried bitter melon for eyes, picking melon for dysentery, and so on and so forth. How effective it is, only those who have tried to know. "Guangdong - The Seven Maidens Festival In Guangdong, the Tanabata Festival was the most important festival during the Qing Dynasty and the Republic of China, and many interesting customs have been passed down. In Qu Dajun's "New Words of Guangdong", the grandeur of the "Seven Nyonya Festival" in the early Qing Dynasty was recorded, and during the Republican era, many interesting customs were passed down. In Qu Dajun's "New Words of Guangdong", it was already recorded that in the early Qing Dynasty, the "Seven Niang Hui" was a grand event, which was often called "Worshiping the Seven Sisters". According to the recollections of the old people who participated in the activities of "Worshiping Seven Sisters" during the Republic of China, "Worshiping Seven Sisters" was especially popular in the Xiguan area of Guangzhou. Activities are generally carried out in the young girls and young women (men and older women can only watch from the sidelines and perform rituals only), organized in advance by the good ten sisters to prepare for the "Worship Seven Sisters" in June will be some rice, wheat, mung beans, etc. immersed in porcelain bowls, so that they germinate. They are even busier on the eve of the seventh day of the seventh month, when they gather some money and ask their families to help them build a bridge of magpies out of gabion paper and make all kinds of beautiful handicrafts. On the night of the seventh day of the seventh month, a table of eight immortals is set up in the hall, tied with an embroidered table skirt, and decorated with a variety of wonderful flowers and fruits, as well as women's red objects, to show off the daughters' skill. Useful paper-cut red flower belt around the grain seedlings, bean sprouts plate, plate lit with oil lamps, light through the color painting thin paper lampshade, colorful and eye-catching; there are carefully arranged flower arrangements, fragrant white orchids, jasmine, carnation and other flowers inserted in a copper vase; there is a teaspoon as large as the lotus, roses, nightshade, camellia inserted into a small pot, a real one with a fake, real and fake, and the fruit of apples, peaches and tomatoes, such as cutting and stacking a variety of shapes such as birds and animals fruit plate. Birds and animals and other shapes of the fruit plate; inch-long embroidered dress, shoes and socks and flower clogs; with gold and silver color thread woven and embroidered small tents, sheets, curtains, table skirts; fingernail-sized fan, handkerchiefs; with a small wooden planks of soil planted beans and corn seedlings with a fine wooden pavilions, in short, the more detailed the more ingenious it seems. And with rice, sesame, lampshade core, colored paper made of various forms of towers, tables, chairs, bottles and stoves, flowers and fruits, treasures and a variety of patterns and words of the hemp beans made of offerings; also hang a glass or paper lanterns, lanterns, and pomelo skin, eggshell lamps (on the carving of landscapes, flowers and birds), animal-shaped lamps. The most popular, is the daughters with colored silk tie the exquisite daisy dolls, that is, cloth dolls. Daisy dolls have the Cowherd, the Weaving Maiden and a pair of small children's image, generally placed on the upper level, the lower side is to play the Xiaoqin dancing children's image, celebrating the meaning of the two stars will meet. There are also "West Wing", "Red Chamber", "Yangmen female generals" and other sets of theater characters (also with porcelain daisy dolls, parents buy for their children as holiday gifts). In addition, of course, there is no shortage of display makeup supplies, such as small rouge box, mirror, color comb, pomade, powder, etc., both for the use of the weaving maiden, but also for the daughters of their own use. There are also waxed melons and fruits, small animals and so on. In addition is sweet and salty snacks, tea, wine, melon seeds, peanuts and other food, essential is the candlestick, incense burner, inserted incense and candles, and lit with the best sandalwood incense. Daughters on the eve of the seventh night to enjoy dressing up, bathing with Tianhe water, washing hair, and then put on a brocade skirt and jacket, cheongsam, head combed buns, wearing a white orchid, Su Xin and other flower decorations; and then painted eyebrows, smeared with powder, pointing Jiang Jiang lips, forehead prints; dyed fingernails with Fengxian flower juice. After this dress up, the daughters, one by one, like fairies descending to the earth, sit around the Eight Immortals table, the magpie bridge, to play a variety of games: or to entertain themselves, reciting poems and composing pairs, ordering riddles, and threading needles to worship begging for coquettish; and pointing to the seven stars of the Big Dipper in the sky (according to legend, the Weaving Maiden is a member of the Seven Star Sisters) and the two stars, telling stories about the Cow Maiden and poems and allusions; or to invite the singers to sing Cantonese Opera and play eight music, and the daughters also play the qin xiao and other musical instruments. The daughters also play musical instruments such as qin and Xiao. At this time, people can go to the homes of various people to visit the begging table furnishings, although there are many people, the hosts are still happy to entertain. Celebrate to twelve o'clock in the middle of the night, for the auspicious time of the Weaving Maiden, at this time all the lights, candles are lit, colorful, a brilliant; girls are excited, threading a needle to welcome the seven sisters, everywhere the sound of jubilation. Finally, the feast, and only then dispersed. As the Qing poet Wang Lun (the name of the fish in the legend) said in his "Bamboo Poem on the Tanabata Festival in Yangcheng", "The embroidered doorway and the Yao doorway are open, and the flower is the barrier and the jade is the platform. Qingxi little girl blue bridge sister, there is a date night begging for coincidence to come." Taiwan - worship "bed mother" Taiwan Tanabata worship seven mother mother, often also prepared a small bowl of oil rice to the room to worship "bed mother", the two should have a similar meaning. Production, child-rearing, which are women's irreplaceable duties, so these gods are also female gods; between female gods and female believers, thus constituting a close link, which resolves the anxiety and fear of women in the assumption of motherhood. "The 7th of July is the birthday of the Bedmother. Families with children worship the Bedmother on the evening of that day, next to the beds where the children sleep; offerings include rice with oil, chicken and wine (or chicken with sesame oil), and the burning of the "Four Directions Gold" and the "Bedmother's Clothes. "bed mother clothes", worship bed mother should not be too long, unlike the usual worship to pour three rounds of wine, about the offerings are set up, after the incense is lit, you can prepare to burn "four sides of the gold" and "bed mother clothes", burned to remove the offerings, hoping that the children sleep next to the bed, and then the children will be able to worship. Burning can be withdrawn, hoping that the child grows up quickly, can not worship too long, for fear that the bed mother will spoil the child to stay in bed and so on. Jiangsu - Tanabata Xiangqiao Hui In Jiangsu Jiaxing Tanghui village ancient Doujing village, there is Tanabata Xiangqiao Hui. Every year on the eve of the seventh, people rushed to participate in, build incense bridge. The so-called incense bridge, is a variety of thick and long wrapped head incense (wrapped in paper incense) built about four or five meters long, about half a meter wide bridge, equipped with railings, in the railings tied to the five-color thread made of flower decorations. At night, people offer sacrifices to the two stars, begging for good fortune, and then incinerate the incense bridge, symbolizing that the two stars have walked across the incense bridge to meet each other joyfully. This incense bridge is derived from the legendary magpie bridge legend. Hunan, Zhejiang - women shampooing, catching dew Women shampooing their hair on the eve of the seventh day of the seventh month is also a special custom. This is recorded in Hunan, Jiangsu and Zhejiang. For example, in Hunan Xiangtan area, "You County Records": "On July 7, women pick cypress leaves and peach branches, and wash their hair with decoction." And the famous prose writer Qijun (Zhejiang) "Bun" also mentioned that his mother and uncles and other female family members, all in the Tanabata. This custom is related to the belief of "holy water" on Tanabata. Some places directly called it "Tian Sun (i.e., the Weaving Maiden) holy water." Therefore, women in this day, hair bath, also has a special meaning, on behalf of the Milky Way in the holy water net hair, will be able to obtain the goddess of the blessing. [Cowherd weaving Weifang New Year's paintings] also popular with a basin to catch the custom of dew. Legend has it that the dew at the Tanabata Festival is the tears of the Cowherd and the Weaving Maiden when they meet, such as rubbing on the eyes and hands, can make people bright eyes and hands. Jiaodong - Worshiping the Seven Sisters God In the Jiaodong area, the Seven Sisters God is worshipped on the eve of the seventh day of the seventh month. Young women put on new clothes and gather together in the courtroom to make an alliance with the Seven Sisters, singing songs: "Heavenly King, Earthly King, I invite the Seven Sisters to go to heaven. I don't want your needles, I don't want your threads, but I want to show you seventy-two good tricks." Many places also make "Qiaohua", in which young girls use flour to make cakes and buns with flowers, such as peonies, lotuses, plums, orchids and chrysanthemums (or Qiaogao), and Qiaocai, in which malt is cultivated in wine cups (the "seeding of life" of the Song Dynasty), and Qiaogao and Qiaocai are used to worship the Weaving Maiden. Southwest China - dyeing nails Dyeing nails is a Tanabata custom circulating in the southwest of China, many counties in Sichuan Province, as well as Guizhou, Guangdong and other places, there is also this wind. Young girls in many areas, like to wash their hair with the sap of the tree during the festival, and legend has it that not only can they be young and beautiful, but also for unmarried women, they can also find the man of their dreams as soon as possible. Dyeing nails with flowers and plants is also a hobby of most women and children in the festival entertainment, which is also closely related to fertility beliefs. Guangzhou - welcome fairy Guangzhou Beggar's Nest is unique, before the arrival of the festival, the girls are prepared in advance with colored paper, grass, string, etc., compiled into a variety of strange small playthings, but also will be put into a small box of cereal seeds and mung beans soaked in water, so that germination, to be sprouted to more than two inches long buds, to be used to worship the gods, known as the "Worship Immortal Harvest". When the buds grow to more than two inches long, they are used to worship the gods, which is called "Worshiping the Immortal Harvest" and "Worshiping the God's Vegetables". From the sixth night to the seventh night, two nights in a row, the girls put on new clothes, wear new jewelry, everything is arranged, then burning incense and candles, kneeling to the starry sky, known as "welcome the immortal", from the third night to the fifth night, to worship seven times. After worshiping the fairy, the girls hold the colorful thread to the lamp shadow will thread through the needle holes, such as a breath can wear seven needle holes is called clever, known as clever hands, wear less than seven needle holes is called lose clever. After Tanabata, the girls give each other small crafts and toys to show their friendship. Shaanxi - ligature Qiao Gu Shaanxi Loess Plateau region, in the night of Tanabata Festival also held a variety of begging activities of the custom, women often want to ligature wearing flowery clothes of the straw man, called Qiao Gu, not only for the fruits and vegetables, but also planted bean seedlings, green onions, in the Tanabata night in the women's homes are hand-held bowl of water, cut bean seedlings, green onions, put into the water, with a look at the moon! Under the shadow of the cast to divine the life of the skillful, but also threading, competition. At the same time also held a window cutter than skillful activities. Guangxi - Tanabata water storage [Cowherd and Weaving Maiden (paper-cutting)] Certain areas of Guangxi have Tanabata water storage custom, that the double seven water bath can eliminate disasters in addition to the disease, the frail and sickly children, but also often in this day will be the red head rope knotted seven knots, worn around the neck, and prayed for health and good luck. Shandong - Growing Qiaocai as Qiaohua There are two kinds of activities in Rongcheng, Shandong, one is "Qiaocai", that is, the maiden cultivates malt in wine cups, and the other is "Qiaohua", which is also shaped by the maiden with flour. The other is "Qiaohua," in which maidens use flour to mold various kinds of food with flowers on them. Shaoxing - pumpkin shed to listen to whispers in the Shaoxing countryside, this night there will be many young girls a person secretly hide in the growth of a lush pumpkin shed, in the dead of night if you can hear the cowherd and the weaving maiden meet when the whispers of the maiden to be married will be able to get the thousand years of undying love.