The Qixi Celebration (Twofold Seventh Celebration) is one of Chinese conventional celebrations, and furthermore known as the Chinese Valentine’s Day. It depends on a heartfelt legend about a weaver young lady and a bull crowd.
It falls on the seventh day of the seventh Chinese lunar month. In 2022 that is August 4 (Thursday). There is no open occasion.
Qixi Festival Facts
- Chinese Name: 七夕节 Qīxījié /chee-sshee-jyeah/ ‘Seventh Evening Festival’
- Date: August 4, 2022 (month 7 day 7 of the Chinese lunar calendar)
- History: over 2,000 years
- Festivities: giving gifts (flowers, chocolates, ties…) to romantic partners, romantic dates – dinners, movies, etc.
Qixi Festival Dates (2021–2025)
The date depends on the Chinese lunar schedule, so it’s around 21 to 51 days after the Gregorian date , for example in the period July 28 to August 28.
| Year | Date |
|---|---|
| 2021 | August 14 |
| 2022 | August 4 |
| 2023 | August 22 |
| 2024 | August 10 |
| 2025 | August 29 |
The History and Traditions of Qixi Day
The celebration has been praised since the Han Tradition (206 BC – 220 Promotion). On May 20, 2015, the Twofold Seventh Celebration was added to the Public Elusive Social Legacy list by the State Chamber of China. A large number of the conventional traditions are vanishing, or as of now not noticed. You are bound to track down these rehearsed in provincial regions:
- 1. Showing abilities (exhibiting skill) was the most well known custom for ladies at night of Qixi. The longest standing way to “argue abilities” was to string a needle under moonlight quickly. Young ladies likewise cut extraordinary blossoms, creatures, and strange birds, typically on a melon skin.
- 2. Revering the weaver pixie (the star Vega), Zhinü (/jrr-nyoo/) involved a table of contributions: tea, wine, natural products, longans, red dates, hazelnuts, peanuts, and melon seeds. At night young ladies lounged around the table, showing their embroidery, looking at Vega, and petitioning God for a decent spouse and a cheerful life. Then, at that point, they’d mess around or perused sonnets until late.
- 3. Respecting bulls: Kids picked lots of wild blossoms and draped them on the horns of bulls to pay tribute to the amazing bull. See underneath.
- 4. Individuals made and ate ‘Ability Natural product’ (巧果 qiǎo guǒ/chyaoww-gwor/’expertise organic product’): broiled, flimsy cakes of various shapes.
How Is the Qixi Festival Celebrated
Twofold Seven Celebration (Qixi) is the most heartfelt of conventional Chinese celebrations, and since China’s globalization it’s become known as “Chinese Valentine’s Day”.
Presently individuals normally observe Chinese Valentine’s Day by giving roses, chocolates, and different presents to their darlings, rather than doing the conventional traditions.
However in Chinese urban areas, Western Valentine’s Day is currently more famous than Qixi with youngsters, the heartfelt legend of Niulang and Zhinü has taken profound root in the hearts of Chinese individuals. It likely consistently will be told starting with one age then onto the next…
The Legend of Qixi Festival
Qixi Celebration started from the legend of the cowherd and the weaver young lady (Niulang and Zhinü).
- 牛郎 Niúláng /nyoh-lung/ ‘ox youth’
- 织女 Zhínǚ /jrr-nyoo/ ‘weaving girl’ or ‘Vega’
The Quick Version…
An oxherd Niulang with the assistance of his bull (the downgraded steers god) wedded a pixie, Zhinü, who turned into a weaver young lady. Zhinü’s mom, a goddess, returned Zhinü to paradise. Niulang sought after utilizing the bull’s stow away. The goddess isolated them by a stream of stars (the Smooth Way), however jaybirds were permitted to frame an extension for them to meet one time per year (Qixi).
