Qixi Festival
August 29, Friday
History and Mythology
The festival is based on the story of the heavenly weaver Zhinu and the simple cowherd Niulang. According to legend, their love was forbidden by the Heavenly Goddess, and they were separated by the Milky Way. Only once a year — on the seventh night of the seventh month — are they allowed to meet, when magpies form a bridge across the Heavenly River.
Celebration Traditions
* Young girls pray for happiness, skill, and a successful marriage.
* Lovers exchange gifts symbolizing love and fidelity.
* In the evening, people gather together, prepare festive dishes, and admire the stars, imagining the lovers’ meeting.
* In some regions, girls display their handicrafts, symbolizing skill and beauty.
Modern Significance
Today, Qixi is regarded as a festival of romance and lovers. Young couples celebrate it with dinners, gift exchanges, and declarations of love.
Festival Analogues in Other Countries
* In Vietnam, there is a similar legend and festival called Ngoc Lang Chuc Nhu. Its story echoes the Chinese myth: it also tells of a cowherd and weaver separated by the Heavenly River and allowed to meet only once a year.
* In Japan, the Tanabata festival is celebrated, honoring the meeting of the weaver goddess Orihime and the cowherd Hikoboshi.
* In Korea, there is the Chilsok festival, associated with the legend of lovers separated by the Heavenly River.
Thus, the Qixi Festival shares common roots with other Asian festivals dedicated to love and fidelity, and in different countries it has acquired its own names and forms while maintaining its romantic essence.