QiXi Festival in China 2019-Know about China
- Shen Jack
- Aug 7, 2019
- 4 min read
Time of Chinese Valentine's Day
Chinese Valentine's Day falls on the seventh day of the seventh lunar month. It is also known as Double-Seventh Day or Qixi Festival. It could be dated back to as early as the Han dynasty. Been linked to a romance myth called The Weaver Girl and the Cowherd ,this day has been the Chinese traditional Valentine’s day for quite a long time. Many traditions on this festival have influence in the neighborhood countries such as Japan, Korean and Vietnam.On May 20th 2006, the Double-Seventh Festival has been included in the list of national intangible culture heritage by State Council.
Origin of Chinese Valentine's Day
The Double-Seventh Day is a day commemorated for weaving girl who is good at doing weaving. It’s a day for female. Zhi’nv is regarded as a WEAVING GODNESS, females in folk pray to her not only for intelligence and skills, but a happy marriage. The activities are various from place to place, the most famous is ‘thread a needle’, that is, the fastest one can get intelligence and skills, loser have to send a gift to the winner. Other activities include worship Vega, celebration for cows, etc. Gradually, the Double-Seventh Day was spread to some of Southeast Asia countries and South Korea and Japan.
Legend of Chinese Valentine's Day
In late summer, the stars Altair and Vega are high in the night sky, and the Chinese tell the following love story, of which there are many variations:
A young cowherd, hence Niulang (Chinese: 牛郎; pinyin: niú láng; literally "[the] cowherd"), came across a beautiful girl--Zhinü (Chinese: 織女; pinyin: zhī nǚ; literally "[the] weavergirl"), the seventh daughter of the Goddess, who just had escaped from boring heaven to look for fun. Zhinü soon fell in love with Niulang, and they got married without the knowledge of the Goddess. Zhinü proved to be a wonderful wife, and Niulang to be a good husband. They lived happily and had two children.
But the Goddess of Heaven (or in some versions, Zhinü's mother) found out that Zhinü, a fairy girl, had married a mere mortal. The Goddess was furious and ordered Zhinü to return to heaven. (Alternatively, the Goddess forced the fairy back to her former duty of weaving colorful clouds, a task she neglected while living on earth with a mortal.)
On Earth, Niulang was very upset that his wife had disappeared. Suddenly, his cow began to talk, telling him that if he killed it and put on its hide, he would be able to go up to Heaven to find his wife.
Crying bitterly, he killed the ox, put on the skin, and carried his two beloved children off to Heaven to find Zhinü. The Goddess discovered this and was very angry. Taking out her hairpin, the Goddess scratched a wide river in the sky to separate the two lovers forever, thus forming the Milky Way between Altair and Vega.
Zhinü must sit forever on one side of the river, sadly weaving on her loom, while Niulang watches her from afar while taking care of their two children (his flanking stars β and γ Aquilae or by their Chinese names Hè Gu 1 and Hè Gu 3).
But once a year all the magpies in the world would take pity on them and fly up into heaven to form a bridge (鵲橋, "the bridge of magpies", Que Qiao) over the star Deneb in the Cygnus constellation so the lovers may be together for a single night, which is the seventh night of the seventh moon.
Traditions of Chinese Valentine's Day
You will find many Chinese girls preparing flowers, tea, melons and grapes to offer prayers to the weaving girl in order to find a better match for themselves. Some girls even place needles on the water and if the needle does not sink, the girl is believed to be mature enough to find a husband.
Lovers go to a match-making temple to pray for a prosperous life ahead. In the evening, they spend their time looking at the stars. People believe that this is the time when Vega and Altair come close. So, this is the best time to witness a beautiful encounter.
The old people of China will also ask you to stand under a grapevine. Gazing to the dark blue sky and looking for the Vega and Altair shining on each side of the Milky Way, you may get a chance to hear what is being whispering between the husband and wife on their reunion day.
Based on this legend, the magpies who form a magic bridge for this couple to reunion each year have been seen as symbol for a happy and faithful marriage in China.
Influence to Abroad
In Japan, they have a similar tale about the Orihime and Hikoboshi and a festival called Tanabata festival, but being slightly different than the Chinese Valentine’s day, their festival is about girls pray to the goddess for better skills rather than romance and love.
In Vietnam, the fairy tale is known as Ngưu Lang Chức Nữ. On their valentine’s day Young lovers write down their wishes on a note and pray for a happy marriage and life.
Similar influence has been spread out to the other Asia countries such as Korea,Thailand, Cambodia, Laos, Myanmar and Sri Lanka, as well .They all have a similar fairy tale and people would celebrate this day in praying for nice lover or better skills.
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