One of the oldest of Chinese celebrations dates back to the Han Dynasty (206 BCE- 220 CE) and is known by a variety of names, including:
- The Double Seven Festival
- Qixi (pronounced chee shee)
- Ingenuity-Begging Festival
- The Daughters Festival
- The Seventh Night Festival
At the heart of this celebration is a story from Chinese mythology about two young lovers - one earthly, one celestial - and how they came to be separated for all but one day a year.
The Legend of Niu-lang and Zhi-nu
There are many versions of this tale and it is sometimes called The Legend of the Magpie Bridge. One version follows.
After Niu-lang’s parents die, the young herder is forced to leave home by his cruel elder brother and his wife. His only possessions are his old clothes and an even older ox who informs Niu-lang that he was a former god who had been removed from heaven as punishment for an unspecified misdeed. He also tells the herder that after his death, Niu-lang should preserve the ox’s hide because it has magical powers.
One day the Queen of Heaven allows her seven daughters to go to earth where they bathe in a river. As a practical joke Niu-lang takes their clothes. When the sisters send the youngest and prettiest sibling, Zhi-nu, to fetch their garments back, she runs into the ox herder and, since she is naked, he is obligated to marry her.
The two lead contented lives over the next few years - he raising his now large herd of oxen and she as a weaver of fine cloth. They have two children, a boy and girl. However, one day the Queen of Heaven, who misses her daughter, sends soldiers to bring Zhi-nu back to her. The herder on seeing what has happened, gathers his children and dons the old ox‘s magical hide which allows them to travel into the heavens in pursuit.
Anticipating this, the Queen creates a wide sky-river (the Milky Way) which forms an impenetrable barrier between the husband and wife. When Niu-lang and the children begin to wail over their loss, the King of Heaven laments what his wife has done. Because of their mournful cries, he decrees that the family will be allowed to see each other on the seventh day of the seventh lunar month.
Each year on that date - which can be any one of several days in August - all the magpies leave earth and fly to heaven where they form a bridge over the sky-river, thus making easier the family’s annual reunion.
How the Double Seven Festival Is Celebrated
Traditionally, Qixi is celebrated more by women then men and, like many Chinese customs, its commemoration differs from region to region in the country. Some of the more older forms of celebration include:
- Groups of seven young ladies make dumplings, into three of which are placed a needle, a coin, and a red date. The one who gets the coin will have good fortune, the one with the needle will have sewing skills (once considered important in marriage), and the one with the date will soon have a wedding.
- Qiaoguos, a combination of oil, flour, sugar, and honey, are made into shapes representing various parts of the legend and then deep-fried.
- A piece of pottery is placed in the yard and the single or newly married women in the household make an offering to Niu-lang and Zhi-nu consisting of fruit, flowers, tea, and facial powder.
- Contests are held in weaving and needlework. “Ingenuity” tests are also common. A needle is placed in a bowl of water and a thin straw is then cast on top. Young ladies are then tested for cleverness by the shadow pattern formed on the bottom.
- Craft fairs are held. Originally, these were meant to give unwed young women a chance to show off their domestic skills to single young men.
The Role of the Festival Today
In 2005 a Chinese newspaper. China Daily, bemoaned what it saw as the passing of an ancient tradition:
“The love story of Niulang and Zhinu, and the Qixi Festival have been handed down for generations. Yet these ancient traditions and customs are slowly dying out. Many modern Chinese, particularly youngsters, seem to know more about St Valentine's Day on February 14, characterized by bouquets of roses, chocolates and romantic candlelight dinners, than they do about their home-grown day for lovers. Even Qixi is nowadays referred to as the ‘Chinese Valentine's Day.’" (China Daily: August 10, 2005).
To some extent, the journal was right. The gradual change in the Chinese economy and culture the last two decades has been a period of westernization which has forced traditional values and customs, although still celebrated, to have less importance. This has forced some festivals to compromise with modernity.
In the case of the Double Seven Festival or Qixi, this has meant combining the day with Valentine Day elements. This includes the giving of candy or flowers as a gift to a loved one, which has brought about more involvement of men. The day has also become one of the most important dates on the calendar for marriage proposals and weddings.
Sources
"Qixi - The Chinese Valentine's Day," China Daily: August 10, 2005
"Qixi: Chinese Valentine's Day," China Daily: August 26, 2009
John K. Davis - John is a retired teacher/librarian and has also been doing freelance writing since the late 1970s. Over this period of time, he has had ...
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