Chinese Valentine's Day
Seventh Eve and China's "Valentine's Day"
The seventh day of the seventh lunar month (August 19 this year) is known as Seventh Eve or Qi Xi Jie (七夕節) in China. Seventh Eve celebrates the love story of the Weaving Girl (Zhi Nu) and the Herding Boy (Niu Lang).
In one version of this folk tale, Zhi Nu, the seventh daughter of the Goddess of Heaven, is bathing in a river with her six sisters. Niu Lang comes by and steals the sisters’ clothes while they are in the river. Zhi Nu, as the youngest and loveliest sister, must go and ask him for their clothes. In this act, Niu Lang sees her naked and falls in love with her.
The couple marries and lives happily for a few years and have twin babies. However, they both neglect their duties. Zhi Nu, as the Weaving Girl, wove beautiful clothing for the immortals. Niu Lang, as the Herding Boy, was to take care of his animals. The Goddess of Heaven becomes angry they are not doing their work and misses her daughter. She orders Zhi Nu to return to the heavens.
To keep the couple apart, the Goddess of Heaven draws the Milky Way across the sky with a hairpin. However, later she takes pity on the lovers and allows them to visit each other one night of the year, the seventh eve of the seventh month. She calls magpies to build a bridge across the Milky Way.
Traditionally, children look to the skies to identify Vega, the home of Zhi Nu, and the constellation Aquila, where Niu Lang resides, during this night. Young girls participate in several ceremonies and parties. And, Chinese folk wisdom says you will not see magpies on this night, as they are all busy building the Magpie Bridge for the lovers. Today, many Chinese also give flowers and cards on Seventh Eve, making it more like Wetern Valentine's Day.
If you would like to learn more about this lovely holiday and its ceremonies and celebrations, please see our Seventh Eve/Hungry Ghost Festival Heritage Holiday Kit.
Saying it in Chinese
Do you want to tell someone special you love them this Valentine's Day? You can try saying it in Chinese.
- Wo ai ni (Mandarin)
- Ngo oi ney (Cantonese)
How about some other languages, too?
- Ich liebe dich (German)
- Je t'aime (French)
- Eu te amo (Portuguese)
- Ya tyebya lyublyu (Russian)
- Khao raak thoe (Thai)
- Yo te amo (Spanish)
- Sukiyo (Japanese)
- Saranghae (Korean)