七夕節俗論略

The Introduction about the Festival Ritual Customs at “the Seventh Night of the Seventh Lunar Month”

歲時禮俗與生命禮俗，都是人類生活中的重要內容。雖然坊間不乏介紹此問題的常民文化書籍，但是從事相關學術研究者甚少。本文為拋磚引玉之作，先選擇號稱中國「情人節」之「七夕」為對象，希望能引發時人對於歲時禮俗來源及其變遷等文化現象，有興趣再作更深入之研究。因此本文在說明寫作緣起之後，正文即討論該節日之由來及其相關禮俗活動兩大部分。首先，分從衛生保健、星辰崇拜、戀愛故事以及祈子問題等四大方向，概述七夕成為「節」日之由來。然後再分別從配合天候節令之習俗、女子乞巧、男子乞聰以及人們祈子祈壽問題等四大方向，概述七夕之禮俗活動。最後，則概括說明追溯七夕之節俗，對於生命實踐教育之意義。

The festival and life ritual customs are similarly the important content of humanity life. Although there are so many books discussed these questions in common culture, but few engaged in the correlation academic research. This article offers a few ordinary introductory remarks so that others may offer their valuable ideal work. First, the object of “the Chinese valentine day” ----“the seventh night of the seventh lunar month” has been chosen in this article. It is hoped that people could pay more attention to festival ritual customs and scholars would research its origin and vicissitude penetrative. This article divides from two major contents. One is the origin of this festival and the other is the content of this festival. The origin of this festival should be divided from four parts: the medical care, the stars worship, the love story and begging for children. The content of this festival should be divided from four parts: the separately custom which coordinates the weather condition, the female beg for skill, the man beg for wisdom, the people beg for children and pray the long-lived. Finally, to summary the significance which showing backward the festival about “the seventh night of the seventh lunar month” should be worth to the life practice education.