七夕qīxī is the Chinese Valentine’s day. It is celebrated on the seventh day of the seventh month according to the Chinese calendar. This year you could send the “七夕qīxī” love message on August 4th.
The legend of 七夕qīxī is a famous Chinese love story of the cowherd (牛郎 niúláng) and the weaver girl (织女 zhīnǚ). The story tells of the romance between 织女 zhīnǚ - the weaver girl (symbolizing the star Vega) and 牛郎 niúláng - the cowherd (symbolizing the star Altair). Their love was not allowed, and thus they were banished to opposite sides of the heavenly river (symbolizing the Milky Way). Once a year, on the seventh day of the seventh lunar month, a flock of magpies would form a bridge to reunite the lovers for a single day. This legend originated from ancient people's worship of natural celestial phenomena.
Today, 七夕qīxī is still celebrated in China, but also in Korea, Japan and Vietnam. 七夕节快乐！Qīxī jié kuài lè! Happy QiXi-Chinese Valentine's day!
You can find more details about the legend of 七夕qīxī in the video herebelow.
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