As known by many, the Valentine’s Day (qínɡ rén jié) on 14th February each year is a romantic day, but in China there is
another day to show romance(浪漫 lànɡ màn).
On the night of the seventh day of the seventh month in Chinese lunar calendar,
in an environment of mild weather and fragrant trees and grass, the most romantic
traditional Chinese festival begins. The Day is called Qixi festival.
Qixi - A Time To Show Love
Introduction to Chinese Valentine’s Day- Qixi
The Qixi(七夕 qī xī) Festival originates
from a legend love story between the celestial Weaving Maid in the heavens and
the Cowherd down on earth. As a result of their mutual adoration and attraction
for each other, they eventually get married. But then later they are forced to
break up. The two became the Altair and the Vega separated on either side of
the Milky Way, and can only meet each other once a year on the seventh day of
the seventh lunar month on the Magpie Bridge. Men and women that have
affectionate feelings for each other will for sure pray that night for a beautiful
marriage. As this Qixi Festival is a traditional Chinese festival full of
romance, it is also known as Chinese Valentine’s Day.
Customs on Qixi Festival
As in modern
China today, the Qixi Festival is a day for the young. On this day, young
people will stay with their loved ones to enjoy the romance. Young men will
regard this day as the best time to propose to their Miss Right, usually by
giving them roses or Chinese love tokens.
Sand Art Depicting the Qixi Story
The most
popular custom during the Qixi Festival is the one when ladies take part in
different activities to entreat Vega for skill on the seventh day of the
seventh month on the Chinese lunar calendar. The activities include threading a
needle to test skill, making some small appliances to compare it and placing
some fruit to beg for it. The forms of begging for skill vary from place to
place, and each has its own interesting characteristic.
In some parts of China, there is a
custom of worshiping the Seven Sister Tanabata God. Young ladies put on their
new clothes and get together and make alliances under the Moon and Threading
Needles. In some other places they compete by threading needles for an honor of
“a deft hand.”
The tradition of dyeing fingernails on
the Qixi Festival is a popular custom in southwestern China. The young ladies
there mix the sap of a tree with water, and use the mixture to wash their hair
during the festival. It is said that washing it that way will not only keep
ladies young and beautiful, but also help those unmarried ladies to find their
Mr. Right as soon as possible. Most of the ladies and children like to use flowering
straw to dye their fingernails during the festival as one of their favorite
entertainments.
What did you do on the very romantic
day of Qixi?
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