Local Customs in Different Places
Guangdong – Meeting of the Seventh Girl
In Guangdong province, the periods when Qixi were most valued were in Qing dynasty and in Republic of China, during which a lot of interesting customs prevailed. In New Tales of Guangdong composed by Qu Dajun, there are records for the grand scenes to celebrate Meeting of the Seventh Girl in these two periods. Folk people would call this activity worshiping the seventh sister. The ceremony was held among girls and young women, (men and old women could only stood by to view). Usually, about a score of girls would organize to prepare for the ceremony. In June, they would soak some rice, wheat, and green beans in bowls for them to have shoots. When Qixi Festival approached, they would raise some money and asked people in their homes to help. They would make a magpie bridge with bamboo strips and various fine handicrafts. At the night of July 7, an old fashioned square table for eight people would be set up in the sitting room, with an embroidered tablecloth covered. Then various floral fruits and needlework objects were put on the table to display the skills of the girls. There were paper cuttings enclosing grain shoots, and bean seedling plates with lit oil lamp in the center. When light went through the paper cutting lamp shade, the design would be colorful and bright. There were also carefully designed flower arrangements, such as white orchid, jasmine, and other fresh flowers were put into vases. Then lotus flower, rose, lily, camellia were put into small basins, with one natural flower matching one artificial, making it hard for people to recognize. People also cut apples, peaches, persimmon into pieces to make different shapes of birds and animals. Tiny embroidered shirts, skirts, shoes, socks, and clogs of about one inch long. Small nets, bed sheets, curtains, tablecloths woven with gold and silver threads. Fans and handkerchiefs of the size of fingernails. Seedlings growing on wooden board with pavilion, terrace, building and tower made of thin wood strips. For all of the above handicrafts, there was one principle – the more delicate, the more dexterous. The girls would use rice grains, sesame, threads, and colored paper to form various towers, tables, chairs, vases, stoves, flowers, fruits, the four stationery treasures, and sacrificial offerings with different patterns and characters made of beans. Lines of festival lanterns made of glass and colored paper, palace lanterns, grapefruit skin lanterns, eggshell lamps, and lanterns in shapes of various animals. The most preferable are the exquisite toys made of silk – the dolls. The common dolls are the cowherd, the weaver fairy, and a pair of son and daughter of theirs. They are often put on the upper layer, while on the lower layer are kids playing various music instruments, suggesting the celebration for the family to meet. Some serial opera figures were also made, such as those in The Romance in the Western Chamber, A Dream in a Red Chamber, Female Generals from Yang Family. Of course, there were also objects for cosmetics, such as rouge case, mirror, comb, velvet flower, powder, etc. These would be used by the weaver fairy, and also by the real living girls. There were fruits and animals made of wax. Besides these, there are salty and sweet snacks, tea, wine, melon seeds, and peanuts, etc. Of course, the essential objects, such as candle sticks, incense burners, would be used, with incense sticks burnt, and it’s better to use sandal wood incense sticks.
(Source: bjchinese.bjedu.cn)
