乞巧节的英文介绍

Long, long ago, there was an honest and kind-hearted fellow named Niu Lang (Cowhand). His parents died when he was a child. Later he was driven out of his home by his sister-in-law. So he lived by himself herding cattle and farming. One day, a fairy from heaven Zhi Nu (Weaver Maid) fell in love with him and came down secretly to earth and married him. The cowhand farmed in the field and the Weaver Maid wove at home. They lived a happy life and gave birth to a boy and a girl. Unfortunately, the God of Heaven soon found out the fact and ordered the Queen Mother of the Western Heavens to bring the Weaver Maid back.

Double－Seventh DayThe Double－Seventh Day refers to the seventh day of the seventh month on the Chinese lunar calendar. The day is not as well known as many other Chinese festivals. But almost everyone in China, young and old, is very familiar with the story behind this festival.A long long time ago, there was a poor cowherd, Niulang. He fell in love with Zhinu, “the Girl Weaver". Virtuous and kind, she was the most beautiful being in the whole universe. Unfortunately, the King and Queen of Heaven were furious finding out that their granddaughter had gone to the world of Man and taken a husband. Thus, the couple was separated by a wide swollen river in the sky and can only meet once a year on the seventh day of the seventh lunar month.The poor couple of Niulang and Zhinu each became a star. Niulang is Altair and Zhinu is Vega. The wide river that keeps them apart is known as the Milky Way. On the east side of the Milky Way, Altair is the middle one of a line of three. The end ones are the twins. To the southeast are six stars in the shape of an ox. Vega is to the west of the Milky Way； the star around her form in the shape of a loom. Every year, the two stars of Altair and Vega are closest together on the seventh day of the seventh lunar month.This sad love story has passed down from generation to generation. It is well known that very few magpies are seen on the Double－Seventh Day. This is because most of them fly to the Milky Way, where they form a bridge so that the two lovers might come together. The next day, it is seen that many magpies are bald； this is because Niulang and Zhinu walked and stood too long on the heads of their loyal feathered friends.In ancient times, the Double－Seventh Day was a festival especially for young women. Girls, no matter from rich or poor families, would put on their holiday best to celebrate the annual meeting of the cowherd and the Girl Weaver. Parents would place an incense burner in the courtyard and lay out some fruit as offerings. Then all the girls in the family would kowtow to Niulang and Zhinu and pray for ingenuity.In the Tang Dynasty about 1,000 years ago, rich families in the capital city of Chang'an would set up a decorated tower in the courtyard and name it Tower of Praying for Ingenuity. They prayed for various types of ingenuity. Most girls would pray for outstanding sewing or cooking skills. In the past these were important virtues for a woman.Girls and women would gather together in a square and look into the star－filled night sky. They would put their hands behind their backs, holding needle and thread. At the word “Start”, they would try to thread the needle. Zhinu, the Girl Weaver, would bless the one who succeeded first.The same night, the girls and women would also display carved melons and samples of their cookies and other delicacies. During the daytime, they would skillfully carve melons into all sorts of things. Some would make a gold fish. Others preferred flowers, still others would use several melons and carve them into an exquisite building. These melons were called Hua Gua or Carved Melons.The ladies would also show off their fried cookies made in many different shapes. They would invite the Girl Weaver to judge who was the best. Of course, Zhinu would not come down to the world because she was busy talking to Niulang after a long year of separation. These activities gave the girls and women a good opportunity to show their skills and added fun to the fesstival.Chinese people nowadays, especially city residents, no longer hold such activities. Most young women buy their clothes from shops and most young couples share the housework.The Double－Seventh Day is not a public holiday in China. However, it is still a day to celebrate the annual meeting of the loving couple, the Cowherd and the Girl Weaver. Not surprisingly, many people consider the Double－seventh Day the Chinese Valentine's Day.

Double Seventh FestivalThe Double Seventh Festival,on the 7th day of the 7th lunar month,is a traditional festival full of romance.It often goes into August in the Gregorian calendarThis festival is in mid-summer when the weather is warm and the grass and trees reveal their luxurious greens.At night when the sky is dotted with stars,and people can see the Milky Way spanning from the north to the south.On each bank of it is a bright star,which see each other from afar.They are the Cowherd and Weaver Maid,and about them there is a beautiful love story passed down from generation to generation.Long,long ago,there was an honest and kind-hearted fellow named Niu Lang (Cowhand).His parents died when he was a child.Later he was driven out of his home by his sister-in-law.So he lived by himself herding cattle and farming.One day,a fairy from heaven Zhi Nu (Weaver Maid) fell in love with him and came down secretly to earth and married him.The cowhand farmed in the field and the Weaver Maid wove at home.They lived a happy life and gave birth to a boy and a girl.Unfortunately,the God of Heaven soon found out the fact and ordered the Queen Mother of the Western Heavens to bring the Weaver Maid back.With the help of celestial cattle,the Cowhand flew to heaven with his son and daughter.At the time when he was about to catch up with his wife,the Queen Mother took off one of her gold hairpins and made a stroke.One billowy river appeared in front of the Cowhand.The Cowhand and Weaver Maid were separated on the two banks forever and could only feel their tears.Their loyalty to love touched magpies,so tens of thousands of magpies came to build a bridge for the Cowhand and Weaver Maid to meet each other.The Queen Mother was eventually moved and allowed them to meet each year on the 7th of the 7th lunar month.Hence their meeting date has been called "Qi Xi" (Double Seventh).Scholars have shown the Double Seventh Festival originated from the Han Dynasty (206 BC-AD220).Historical documents from the Eastern Jin Dynasty (AD371-420) mention the festival,while records from the Tang Dynasty (618-907) depict the grand evening banquet of Emperor Taizong and his concubines.By the Song (960-1279) and Yuan (1279-1368) dynasties,special articles for the "Qi Xi" were seen being sold on markets in the capital.The bustling markets demonstrated the significance of the festival.Today some traditional customs are still observed in rural areas of China,but have been weakened or diluted in urban cities.However,the legend of the Cowhand and Weaver Maid has taken root in the hearts of the people.In recent years,in particular,urban youths have celebrated it as Valentine's Day in China.As a result,owners of flower shops,bars and stores are full of joy as they sell more commodities for love.

Chinese Valentine's Day七夕节

七夕节的由来英文

Qixi Festival (Chinese: 七夕节), also known as the QiqiaoFestival (Chinese: 乞巧节),is a Chinese festival that celebrates the annual meeting ofthe cowherd and weaver girl in Chinesemythology. It falls on the seventh day of the 7th month on theChinese calendar. It is sometimes called the Double Seventh Festival, the ChineseValentine's Day, or the MagpieFestival. Thisis an important festival, especially for young girls.

The festival originated from the romantic legend of two lovers,Zhinü and Niulang, who were the weaver maid and the cowherd, respectively. Thetale of The Weaver Girl andthe Cowherd has beencelebrated in the Qixi Festival since the Han Dynasty.The earliest-known reference to this famous myth dates back to over 2600 yearsago, which was told in a poem from the Classic ofPoetry. The festival inspired Tanabata in Japan and Chilseok in Korea.

Mythology

The general tale is about a love storybetween Zhinu (the weaver girl, symbolizing Vega) and Niulang (thecowherd, symbolizingAltair).Their love was not allowed, thus they were banished to opposite sides of theSilver River (symbolizing the Milky Way). Once a year, on the 7th day ofthe 7th lunar month, a flock of magpies would form a bridge to reunite thelovers for one day. There are many variations of the story. A variationfollows:

A young cowherd, hence Niulang (Chinese: 牛郎; literally: "cowherd"), cameacross a beautiful girl—Zhinü (simplified Chinese: 织女; traditional Chinese: 织女; literally: "weavergirl"),the Goddess's seventh daughter, who had just escaped from boring heaven to lookfor fun. Zhinü soon fell in love with Niulang, and they got married without theknowledge of the Goddess. Zhinü proved to be a wonderful wife, and Niulang tobe a good husband. They lived happily and had two children. But the Goddess ofHeaven (or in some versions, Zhinü's mother) found out thatZhinü, a fairy girl, had married a mere mortal. The Goddess was furious andordered Zhinü to return to heaven. (Alternatively, the Goddess forced the fairyback to her former duty of weaving colorful clouds, a task she neglected whileliving on earth with a mortal.) On Earth, Niulang was very upset that his wifehad disappeared. Suddenly, his ox began to talk, telling him that if he killedit and put on its hide, he would be able to go up to Heaven to find his wife.Crying bitterly, he killed the ox, put on the skin, and carried his two belovedchildren off to Heaven to find Zhinü. The Goddess discovered this and was veryangry. Taking out her hairpin, the Goddess scratched a wide river in the sky toseparate the two lovers forever, thus forming the Milky Way betweenAltair and Vega. Zhinü must sit forever on one side of the river, sadly weavingon her loom, while Niulang watches her from afar while taking care of their twochildren (his flanking stars β and γ Aquilae orby their Chinese names Hè Gu 1 and Hè Gu 3). But once a year all the magpies inthe world would take pity on them and fly up into heaven to form a bridge (鹊桥,"the bridge of magpies", Que Qiao) over the star Deneb in the Cygnus constellation so the lovers may betogether for a single night, which is the seventh night of the seventh moon.

Traditions

Young girls partake in worshiping thecelestials (拜仙) during rituals. They go to the local temple to pray toZhinü for wisdom. Paper items are usually burned as offerings. Girls mayalso recite traditional prayers for dexterity in needlework, which symbolizethe traditional talents of a good spouse. Divination could take place todetermine possible dexterity in needlework. They make wishes for marryingsomeone who would be a good and loving husband. During the festival, girls makea display of their domestic skills. Traditionally, there would be contestsamongst young girls who attempted to be the best in threading needles underlow-light conditions like the glow of ember or a half moon. Today, girlssometimes gather toiletries in honor of the seven maidens.

The festival also held an importance fornewly-wed couples. Traditionally, they would worship the celestial couplefor the last time and bid farewell to them. The celebration stood symbol for ahappy marriage and showed that the married woman was treasured by her newfamily.

During this festival, a festoon isplaced in the yard. Single and newly-wed women make offerings to Niulang andZhinü, which may include fruit, flowers, tea, and face powder.After finishing the offerings, half of the face powder is thrown on the roofand the other half divided among the young women. It is believed that by doingthis, the women are bound in beauty with Zhinü. Tales say that it will rain onthis fateful day if there's crying in heaven. Other tales say that you can hearthe lovers talking if you stand under grapevines on this night.

On this day, the Chinese gaze to the skyto look for Vega and Altair shiningin the Milky Way, while a third star formsa symbolic bridge between the two stars. It was said that if itrains on this day that it was caused by a river sweeping away the magpiebridge, or that the rain is the tears of the separated couple. Based on the legendof a flock of magpies forming a bridge to reunite the couple, a pair of magpiescame to symbolize conjugal happiness and faithfulness.