Qixi Festival, a traditional Chinese festival, also known as Qiqiao Festival, Qijie Festival, Girl's Day, Qiqiao Festival, Qinianghui, Qixi Festival, Niu Gonggong Po Day, Qiao Xi, etc., is a Chinese folk festival. traditional festival.

The Chinese Valentine's Day in 2022 is Thursday, August 4, the seventh day of the seventh lunar month. The seventh day of the seventh lunar month is the Qixi Festival, also known as Qiqiao Festival, Qiqiao Festival or Qijie's Birthday. Qixi Festival began in the Han Dynasty and is a traditional cultural festival popular in China and other countries in the cultural circle of Chinese characters. According to legend, women beg for wisdom from Vega in the courtyard on the night of July 7 or 6 of the lunar calendar, so it is called "begging for cleverness".

Many customs such as Qixi Festival, such as women threading needles and begging for skill, praying for good fortune and longevity, worshiping the Seven Sisters, displaying flowers and fruits, and making red (gōng), have influenced countries in the Chinese cultural circle such as Japan, the Korean Peninsula, and Vietnam.

The Qixi Festival began in ancient times, became popular in the Western Han Dynasty, and flourished in the Song Dynasty. In ancient times, Qixi Festival was an exclusive festival for beautiful women. Among the many folk customs of Chinese Valentine's Day, some have gradually disappeared, but a considerable number of them have been continued by people.

The Chinese Valentine's Day originated in China. In some Asian countries influenced by Chinese culture, such as Japan, the Korean Peninsula, and Vietnam, there is also a tradition of celebrating the Chinese Valentine's Day. On May 20, 2006, the Chinese Valentine's Day was included in the first batch of GJ-level intangible cultural heritage list by the State Council of the People's Republic of China.

Customs of the Chinese Valentine's Day

1. The legend of "Yaqiu"

In addition, myths and legends say that the Weaver Girl in the sky longed for the human world and secretly married the Cowherd. The angry Queen Mother used her hairpin to draw a Milky Way to separate the two of them. Every year on July 7th, magpies build a bridge to meet each other. Therefore, there is a local legend in Laiyang that magpies are generally not seen on July 7th (called "Yaqiu" in Jiaodong) because they all gather to build colorful bridges over the Tianhe River.

2. The legend of "Sister Crying"

It is also said that on this day, lovers can grow old together on a date under the grape trellis at night, and they can hear the whispers of the Cowherd and the Weaver Girl late at night. This day and the previous few days are like rainy days, which is called "sister crying", that is, the day when I look forward to meeting my sister. Due to the separation of the Milky Way, the Weaver Girl missed the Cowherd and washed her face with tears, so the rain in the sky came in bursts, which was called "sister crying".