Happy Chinese Valentine's Day

What is Chinese Valentine's Day ?

The Qixi Festival (Chinese: 七夕), also known as the Qiqiao Festival (Chinese: 乞巧), is a Chinese festival

celebrating the annual meeting of Zhinü and Niulang in Chinese mythology.The festival is

celebrated on the seventh day of the seventh lunisolar month on the Chinese lunisolar calendar.

A celebration of romantic love, the festival is often described as the traditional Chinese equivalent of

Valentine's Day.The festival is derived from Chinese mythology: people celebrate the romantic legend

of two lovers, Zhinü and Niulang, who were the weaver girl and the cowherd, respectively.

How is it celebrated?

Traditions

Many customs and practices are associated with the Qixi Festival. Traditionally, it is a day when women dress

up in Hanfu – traditional Chinese-clothing that has a long flowing robe with loose sleeves and a belt at the waist

– and spend the day preparing offerings of tea, wine, flowers, and various fruits to pray to Zhinu for wisdom and

to grant their wishes

Modern-day celebrations

Today, only a few of these customs remain, as the festival has become increasingly commercialised – with

many couples celebrating by going on dates and giving each other gifts on the day.

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