Chinese festival celebrated on the seventh day of the seventh lunar month, primarily focused on prayers by women for dexterity in needlework and a happy marriage. The festival has its origin in astronomical rituals of early Chinese people, particularly the Western Han Dynasty (206 BCE-8 CE). The stars Altair and Vega came to represent the legendary lovers Niu Lang (the Cowherd) and Zhi Nu (the Weaver Girl). Observances include offering fruits to the goddess, threading seven-hole needles, watching stars in the sky, and laying clothes to dry in a tower.
