韩国的七夕保留了更多与中国古籍相近的传统。《东国岁时记》记载，七夕这一天，女性“陈瓜果、焚香、望牵牛织女而祈愿”，核心仍然是乞巧。

　　从中国到日韩，七夕最动人的部分始终没变：以具象仪式承载人间万般期许。

　　Today, many people's first thought when they hear "Qixi" is "China's Valentine's Day." Yet in ancient texts, romance actually ranked surprisingly low on the Qixi wish list. The wishes people made to the star Vega were far more practical than one might imagine.

　　The Wishes of Qixi: Beyond Romance

　　Praying for skill was the earliest and most central wish. Ge Hong's "Xijing Zaji" (Miscellaneous Records of the Western Capital) from the Eastern Jin dynasty records: "Han palace maids regularly threaded seven-hole needles on the seventh day of the seventh month at the Kaijin Tower, and all followed this custom." The wishes of these palace women were remarkably specific — they wanted to be more deft with their hands and more perceptive in mind. "Skill" referred to needlework and textile arts, which were fundamental to a woman's livelihood.

　　Praying for offspring was a closely related wish. The Jingchu Suishi Ji (Record of Seasonal Customs in Jingchu) states: "If a spider weaves a web on a melon, it is taken as an auspicious sign." The spider's web was seen as a symbol of skill, and also carried the hope of bearing children.

　　By the Song dynasty, the wish list had grown more diverse. The Suishi Zaji (Miscellaneous Records of Seasonal Customs) notes: "On Qixi, children in the capital would each place brushes, inkstones, paper, and ink before the shrine of the Cowherd, writing: 'I pray for intelligence.'" The children were praying for cleverness and success in their studies.

　　Ways of Making Wishes