Han Dynasty (202 BCE–220 CE)
folk customs
National Heritage
active
The Qixi Festival, known as Chinese Valentine's Day, is celebrated on the 7th day of the 7th lunar month. It commemorates the annual reunion of the Cowherd and Weaver Girl star-crossed lovers separated by the Milky Way. Traditions include praying for skill in needlework, making offerings to the Weaver Girl, and watching for magpies that form a bridge across the heavens. Young women traditionally prayed for sewing skills and a good husband.
Stories & Legends
The Cowherd and the Weaver Girl
mythA young cowherd named Niulang discovers the heavenly weaver girl Zhinu bathing in a river. They fall in love and marry, but Zhinu's mother, the Queen Mother of Heaven, separates them with the Milky Way. Once a year, on the seventh night of the seventh month, magpies form a bridge across the stars so they can reunite — this is the origin of Qixi Festival.
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