At the time when he was about to catch up with his wife， the Queen Mother took off one of her gold hairpin⑤ and created a Milky Way in the sky. One billowy river appearing in front of them， the Cowherd and Weaver Maid were separated on the two banks forever and could only feel their tears. Their loyalty to love touched magpies⑥， so tens of thousands of magpies came to build a bridge for the Cowherd 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—220 AD). Historical documents from the Eastern Jin Dynasty (371—420) mentioned the festival， while records from the Tang Dynasty (618—907) depicted the grand evening banquet⑦ of Emperor Taizong and his concubines on the 7th of the 7th lunar month each year. By the Song (960—1279) and Yuan (1279—1368) dynasties， special poems for the “Qi Xi” were seen being sold on markets in the capital. The bustling markets demonstrated the significance of the festival. In ancient times， on the Double Seventh night， unmarried girls prayed to the Weaving Maid star for the special gift—becoming skilled craftswomen， which was considered an essential quality as wives and mothers in their future. This custom was also passed down by the folks generation by generation.
Today some traditional customs of this festival are still observed in rural areas of China， but have been weakened or diluted⑧ in urban cities. However， the legend of the Cowherd and Weaver Maid has taken root in the hearts of the people.
In recent years， in particular， more and more youths have celebrated it as Valentine’s Day in China， which is also full of romance.
① luxuriousadj. 奢侈的，豪华的
② maltreatv. 虐待；滥用
③ explicitlyadv. 明白的，确切的
④ reincarnatev. 使化身，使转世
⑤ hairpinn. 簪子，束发夹
⑥ magpien. 喜鹊；饶舌的人
⑦ banquetn. 宴会，盛宴
⑧ dilutev. 削弱，降低
七夕
农历七月初七，是人们俗称的七夕节，这是中国传统节日中最具浪漫色彩的一个节日。这天也有人称之为“乞巧节”或“女儿节”，是过去姑娘们很重视的日子。七夕节阳历一般在八月份。
七夕节是在盛夏，天气温暖，草木飘香。在晴朗的夏夜，天上繁星闪耀，一道白茫茫的银河横贯南北，银河的东西两岸，各有一颗闪亮的星星，隔河相望，遥遥相对，那就是牵牛星和织女星。他们有一个美丽的的爱情故事，被人们代代相传。
相传在很早以前，有一个忠厚善良的小伙子，名叫牛郎。在他很小时，父母就过世了，之后他就跟着哥哥和嫂子度日。嫂子为人狠毒刻薄，经常虐待牛郎，逼他干很多的活。后来他又将牛郎赶出家。牛郎只带走了一头老牛，靠每天耕种为生。
一天， 老黄牛突然张口讲话了，他对牛郎说：“你是一个善良的人，如果想要成家，就到小河边去，那样你的愿望就会成真的。”于是，牛郎就来到了小河边，看到7个美丽的仙女自天堂下来洗浴。他按照老牛的吩咐，拿起一件红色的纱衣躲到了不远处，他想知道接下来会发生什么事。当其他6个仙女洗完澡准备离开时，最小的那个仙女却找不到她的纱衣所以没法飞回天宫。6个姐姐看快到时间了，就先飞回去了，留下了最小最漂亮的妹妹。牛郎看到6个仙女都飞走了，于是就拿着红纱衣从不远处走了过来。他把之前所做的事情及原因一五一十地告诉了最小的叫做织女的仙女，并且问他愿不愿意和他结婚，在做了稍微的犹豫后，织女同意做牛郎的妻子，然后两人结为夫妇。牛郎在田里耕种，织女在家纺织，情深意重，他们生了一男一女两个孩子，一家人生活得很幸福。
但是好景不长，这事很快便让天帝知道，他让王母娘娘亲自下凡，强行把织女带回天上。牛郎上天无路，两个孩子也一直哭喊着想要母亲。这时牛郎想到了那头死去的老牛。老牛其实是天上的神仙，因为触犯天条而被贬凡间做了一头牛。它曾对牛郎说，在它死后，牛郎可以把它的皮剥下，那可以帮助牛郎飞上天宫。因此，牛郎批上了老牛的皮，将一对儿女放在竹筐里，挑着他们一起飞上天追赶织女。
眼见就要追到了，岂知王母娘娘拔下头上的金簪一挥，在天空划出了一条银河。一道波涛汹涌的天河横在牛郎和织女的面前，他们被隔在两岸，只能相对哭泣流泪。他们的忠贞爱情感动了喜鹊，千万只喜鹊飞来，搭成鹊桥，让牛郎织女走上鹊桥相会，王母娘娘对此也无奈，只好允许两人每年农历的七月七日于鹊桥相会。故而，他们的相会时间就被称为七夕，也就是七月七。
专家们认为七夕节始于汉代，东晋时期的史料也有记载。而唐代也有记录说，唐太宗和其妃子每逢七夕在宫廷夜宴。到了宋元时期，京城的市场上到处都是描写七夕的诗词。熙熙攘攘的市场恰恰说明了这个节日的重要性。古时候，姑娘们都在七夕的晚上，对着织女星乞巧，希望能成为一个手巧的人，这对她们将来想成为贤妻良母是最基本的要求。这一习俗在民间代代延续。
直到今日，七夕的许多传统习俗还在乡村流传，但在城镇里不少习俗活动已弱化或消失。然而，牛郎织女的传说却深深地根植在人们心中。
近年来，越来越多的年轻人把七夕节当作一个特殊的节日来庆祝——中国的情人节。七夕仍然充满着浪漫色彩。
