Traditional Culture Encyclopedia - Traditional culture - Origin of Tanabata Festival

Origin of Tanabata Festival

The Tanabata Festival originated from the worship of nature and the women's custom of threading needles and begging for coquettish tips, which was later given the meaning of love because of the legend of the Cowherd and the Weaving Maiden. Legend has it that the ancient Heavenly Emperor's granddaughter, the Weaving Maiden, was good at weaving and wove colorful clouds for the sky every day. Hating this boring life, she secretly descended to the mortal world and privately married the Cowherd of Hexi.

The Tanabata Festival evolved from the worship of the starry hosts and is traditionally known as the "Seven Sisters' Festival" because the worship of the "Seven Sisters" is held on the seventh day of the seventh month, hence the name "Tanabata". Worship seven sisters, praying for blessings and wishes, begging for skillful art, sitting and watching the Altair and Vega stars, praying for marriage, storing Tanabata water, etc., are the traditional customs of Tanabata.

Women's Festival: the Tanabata Festival to the maiden to worship the fairy and begging, the race of coquettishness as the main customary activities, so it is called the Women's Festival, also known as the Daughter's Festival, Maiden Festival. Lan night: the seventh month of the lunar calendar is known as "Lan Yue", so the Tanabata is also known as "Lan night". Children's Day: because of begging, begging for money and other common.