In Chinese culture, Valentines Day is not celebrated on the 14th February, but instead Chinese Valentine's Day is celebrated on the 7th Day of the 7th Lunar month after Chinese New Year, giving it the lucky name - Double 7 Festival.
Celebrated for over 2000 years, since the Han Dynasty (206 BC - 220 AD) it is called the Double Seventh Day Festival (Qixi festival - Chinese: 七夕節). This is an auspiscious date that comes from the whimsical, romantic legend of Zhinu the Weaver Girl, and Niulang the Cowherd, a traditional story that everyones knows - from old to young, and the legend has been passed down through generations.
Qixi is the most romantic among the Chinese annual festivals, and as such, is now known as Chinese Valentine's Day.
The Chinese people celebrate this special holiday festival, by giving gifts to each other such as flowers, chocolates or candy, lucky numbers of Red Roses, and traditionally with gifts for the men, of ties or watches.
The main participants are young people - particulary young women, who often make wishes for a good husband, worshiping Zhinu the weaver girl, and showing off their domestic skills.
One of the most popular customs involves threading a needle under moonlight, which is a long-standing means of "pleading skills" (displaying how good at home-making they would be).
The young Chinese teenagers also skilfully carve fruits - often melon - into amazing flowers, birds and animals - again to show off their dextruous domestic skills, and to impress a would be suitor.
(Reprinted with permission from China Highlights:)
It is believed that the Qixi Festival originated from the romantic legend of Niulang the Cowherd 牛郎, and Zhinü the Weaver Girl 织女.
Legend has it that a young, poor, but kind-hearted cowherd, Niulang, lived with his elder brother after his parents passed away.
Unfortunately, both his brother and sister-in-law were cruel and treated him badly. They kicked him out of the house, and all he had in the world were the clothes on his back and an old ox.
The ox actually was once the god of cattle in heaven, but was downgraded into the human world as an ox, because he had violated the law of heaven. Niulang had once saved the ox when it was sick.
In order to show its gratitude to Niulang, the old ox helped Niulang get acquainted with Zhinü (a fairy, the seventh daughter of a goddess) when she escaped from her boring life in heaven to look for fun on the earth.
Zhinü soon fell in love with Niulang, and they got married without the knowledge of the goddess.
Niulang and Zhinü lived a happy life together; Niulang worked in the field while Zhinü did weaving at home. After a few years passed, they had two children, one boy and one girl.
However, happy times didn't last long; the Goddess of Heaven (Zhinü's mother) found out that Zhinü, a fairy girl, had married a mere mortal. The goddess was furious and sent celestial soldiers to bring Zhinü back.
Niulang was very upset when he found his wife was taken back to heaven. Then his ox asked Niulang to kill it and put on its hide, so 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.
Just before he caught up with Zhinü, the goddess of heaven took out her hairpin, and created a huge river between them, and they were separated forever by the river that later became to be known as the Milky Way.
Heartbroken, he and his children could only weep bitterly.
However, their love moved all of the magpies in the world to take pity on them, and they flew up into heaven to form a bridge over the river, so Niulang and Zhinü could meet on the magpie bridge.
The goddess was also moved by their love, so she allowed them to meet each other on the magpie bridge on that day every year - The seventh day of the seventh lunar month.
This is where the romantic legend of the Double Seventh Day festival began.
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Jo-Ann Moss - Senior Florist | 01 August 2025, 12:42 AM
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