When you see a Spider

This is 23:38 on August 13, 2023. I took this photo. This is the end of summer. The weather is still very hot. My puppy and I are walking on the trail by the river, and insects are chirping. The birds chirped even more quietly. I looked up accidentally and saw a huge net directly above my head, shining with silver light. In the center of the net squatted a huge spider. Blown by the night wind, the net seemed to be breathing, rising and falling gently. It was the first time in my 30-year-old life that I saw such a majestic spider web construction. I couldn't help but stop and want to capture this moment. However, the shooting function of my mobile phone is really limited, and I don't have any photography skills, so I can only share the above with you. Sorry that this is not a very pretty picture. You know, in many legends and myths, spiders are given a symbol of luck and love. With the inspiration given by this spider, after many attempts, "Red Window Green Spider" was born. Under the vermilion wooden window, a thin spider silk hangs, gently swaying in the wind. And hanging at the end is a pearlescent happy spider, which brings a sign of happy events and the beginning of a beautiful love. The combination of red, green and white symbolizes prosperity, harmony and purity. Not only carefully handcrafted, the beauty is also enhanced by intricate details such as natural freshwater pearls, red natural stones and mesmerizing opals. I am satisfied with my design, what do you think? You can easily find them on my online shop. Feel free to make a comments on this set if you have any suggestions for me.

In traditional Chinese culture, spiders are also called "happy spiders", which represent good luck and auspiciousness. When you see a spider hanging down from its silk thread, it is even more like "happy spider falling from the sky"! Even if modern people do not want spiders to appear in their homes, they should politely ask them out without harming them.

Spiders also play a vital role in the Chinese Valentine's Day (Qixi Festival) . In ancient China, it is also called the Qiqiao Festival, the seventh day of the seventh lunar month, was originally a festival for worshiping the Vega (also known as the Seventh Sister among the people). Through history, With the development, Chinese Valentine's Day has become associated with the love legend of "Altair and Vega". On the seventh day of July, magpies build a bridge, and Altair and Vega will meet on the magpie bridge and express their love to each other. Gradually, this festival has become a traditional Valentine's Day. It has become a comprehensive Girs' festival with the themes of praying for blessings, begging for skills, and love. In ancient times, girls would beg the Vega for a pair of skillful hands on the night of Chinese Valentine's Day, and the Happy Spider was the reply officer. The density of the spider's web was used to judge whether the girls could get what they wanted, which is also called " Happy spiders's blessing''. In the Han Dynasty, women put a small spider in a box, and the next day, the density of its web was used as a sign of clumsiness. In the Tang Dynasty, spiders were placed on melons. In the Song and Yuan dynasties, people saw the shadow of a needle in the water as a sign of clumsy skill. Slender is clever, scattered is clumsy. Li Shangyin, a poet of the late Tang Dynasty, talked about this custom in her poem:' How can we not intend to reward the crow and magpie, but only beg for clever silk with the spider? ' The Chinese Valentine's Day (Qixi Festival) began in ancient times, became popular in the Western Han Dynasty, and flourished in the Song Dynasty. Among the many folk customs of Chinese Valentine's Day, some have gradually disappeared, but a considerable number of them have been continued by people. Even though originated in China, some Asian countries influenced by Chinese culture, such as Japan, the Korean Peninsula, and Vietnam, also have the tradition of celebrating the Chinese Valentine's Day. On May 20, 2006, the Chinese Valentine's Day was included in the first batch of national intangible cultural heritage lists by the State Council of the People's Republic of China.

In many ancient books, spiders are also inseparable from happy events:

According to "采兰杂志", in ancient times, a mother and her son could not see each other for a long time. The mother missed her son day and night, hoping for his early return. One day, the mother accidentally discovered a thread of spider silk hanging on her clothes, so she thought that the spider had come to tell her that her son was coming back. A few days later, my son came home. The mother was so happy that she hugged her son and told the strange story of the spider hanging on its silk thread to announce the good news. Therefore, people call spiders "happy mothers" and believe that spiders are the harbinger of happiness.

The "朝野佥载" records a story: One morning in August of the second year of Jingyun (712), Emperor Ruizong of the Tang Dynasty, Zhang Wencheng, the chief minister of Honglu Temple, suddenly discovered a big spider hanging from a web on the door beam. It happened to be hanging in front of him, and he said happily: "Happiness falls from heaven, joy falls from heaven." A few days later, it really came true. The dead persimmon tree in the courtyard of Emperor Gaozu's former residence suddenly came back to life miraculously. Emperor Ruizong of the Tang Dynasty regarded it as auspicious, issued an edict of amnesty to the world, and gave all officials more ranks. Needless to say, Zhang Wencheng was promoted to an official position as usual. What made him even more delighted was that his son Zhang Buzai was also awarded the title of Boye County Captain.

Spiders also have a place in ancient paintings and folk prints. The Qing Dynasty Suzhou Taohuawu New Year painting "Happiness Falling from the Sky" is a counter painting, which depicts Zhong Kui riding on a horse and holding a wat in his hand to welcome spiders falling from the sky. The little ghost is holding an umbrella behind him, and the spiders naturally fall from the sky. It means that joy has fallen from heaven. The famous painter Qi Baishi also has a painting "Happiness Falling from the Sky" depicting the scene of spiders falling from the sky.

In your hometown, what’s the meanings of spiders, and is there any customs or strange stories related to spiders? Send emails to info@easyworklabb.com to share it!