High fever for Qi Xi, China's Valentine's Day
(chinanews.cn)
Updated: 2006-07-20 16:24
Qi Xi, or Double Seventh Night, also viewed as China's Valentine's Day, falls
on the seventh day of the seventh month of the lunar year.
This year, it will be celebrated twice: July 31 and August 30, for the
seventh lunar month this year is a leap month, whereby there will be two seventh
months by the lunar calendar.
More and more young Chinese lovers in cities are interested in Qi Xi, and
they prefer holding various parties to celebrate this year's Qi Xi.
Double Seventh Night originated from the love story of Niulang (the Cowherd, or
the Altair) and Zhinv (the Girl Weaver, or the Vega) in Chinese legend. They
fell in love but are seperated by the Goddess of Heaven. The latter created a
wide river (Milky Way) to keep them apart. Only on Qi Xi, they could cross the
Miky Way by the Bridge of Magpies, or Queqiao, and be together for a single
night.
In traditional Chinese culture, young lovers and couples would celebrate this
festival together. Unmarried stare at the two stars, praying for a satisfory
marriage.
Mr. Shu, a staff member of commercial service agency, is planning to hold a
bachelor party with his unmarried colleagues and friends. As a romantic guy, he
hopes he can meet his future fiancee on Qi Xi. "I'm confident to find my true
love on that day," he said.
In recent days, a deluge of messages on making friends on Qi Xi have appeared
on the Internet, and there are more than that. Businessmen also want to make
more profits in this year's double Qi Xi: Travel agencies have launched programs
like "journey on Qi Xi," and clubs also programs including carnivals and private
friends-making parties.
Ms. Sun, a young unmarried girl working for a transport company, said "Qi Xi
is for boys and girls to become lovers."
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