Which dynasty is the earliest origin of the Tanabata?

The Tanabata Festival was first spread in the Han Dynasty, and Ge Hong's "Miscellany of the Western Capital" of the Eastern Jin Dynasty has a record that "Han colorful women often wear seven-hole needles on the seventh day of the seventh month in the Kaixiao Building, and people all practice it", which is the earliest record of begging for coincidental gifts that we have seen in ancient documents.

The Tanabata Festival, also known as the Beggar's Trivia Festival, the Festival of Seven Coincidences, or the Festival of Seven Sisters, is a traditional cultural festival popular in China and the countries of the Chinese character cultural circle, and according to legend, on the night of the seventh day of the seventh month of the Chinese lunar calendar, or on the night of the sixth day of the seventh month of the Chinese lunar calendar, women begged the Weaving Maiden for wisdom and skill in the courtyard, and it is therefore known as the Begging of Coincidences.

On May 20, 2006, the State Council included the Tanabata Festival in the first batch of national intangible cultural heritage list. In recent years, due to the influence of foreign cultures, foreign festivals have become popular in China, and some businesses and the media have joined forces to hype and publicize the festival as "China's Valentine's Day".

Expanded

Guangzhou's Beggar's Nest is unique:

Before the festival, the girls are prepared in advance with colorful paper, grass, string, etc., compiled into a variety of small artifacts, but also will be put into a small box of cereal seeds and mung beans soaked in water, so that germination, to be sprouted when the buds grow to more than two inches long, to be used to worship the gods, known as the "Worship Immortal Harvest", 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 the "welcome fairy", from three to five, to worship seven times.

After worshipping the fairy, the girls hold the colorful threads against the shadow of the lamp and pass the threads through the needle holes, such as a breath of air can wear seven needle holes is called to get cozy, known as coquettish, wear less than seven needle holes is called to lose coquettish. After Tanabata, the girls give each other small crafts and toys to show their friendship.

Reference: Baidu Encyclopedia - Begging for Qiao (乞巧)