What is the origin and allusion of burning bridge eggs on Tanabata?

Burning bridge eggs on Tanabata is a traditional Valentine's Day custom in China, which is mainly spread in Jiangsu, Anhui and Zhejiang. There are many versions about its origin and allusions.

One of the sayings is that burning bridge eggs originated from the story of the ancient cowherd and weaver girl. Legend has it that the Cowherd and the Weaver Girl are forced to separate after falling in love, and they can only meet in Tianhe on Tanabata night every year. There is no bridge on the Tianhe River, but in order to help the Cowherd and the Weaver Girl meet, kind villagers cooked eggs and strung them together, forming a "flyover" floating between heaven and earth. Cowherd and Weaver Girl can finally reunite through this egg overpass and spend a wonderful night.

Another way of saying it is that burning eggs across the bridge on Qixi is related to the traditional custom of "burning eggs" in Tianjin. According to legend, during the Ming Dynasty, floods often occurred in Tianjin, which led to the shortage of food supply. After the local residents cooked the eggs that were hard to get at ordinary times, they threw them into the river and prayed for the blessing of the gods, so that there would be no more floods. Later, this custom was gradually combined with Tanabata and evolved into burning bridge eggs on Tanabata.

Generally speaking, burning bridge eggs on Tanabata is made into a "bridge" shape through cooked eggs, which means happiness and reunion. It is people's memory and prayer for the story of the Cowherd and the Weaver Girl, and it is also a way to express love and pray for happiness.