Qi Xi - Valentine's Day in China 2023 (Chi Hsi Festival, Double Seven Festival)

Every New Year, at the height of the summer season in China, two delightful stars stand out especially brightly, by coincidence separated by the Milky Way (popularly nicknamed the Weaver and the Shepherd). The uniquely beautiful legend about the Weaver and the Shepherd formed the basis for recreating the stunning and magical Qi Xi holiday. Each holiday and the centuries-old, and sometimes thousand-year-old history associated with it amaze the imagination of the common man. After all, not every person knows where the roots of this or that special event go. And it all started like this: there lived in this world a very young shepherd and his name was Nyulan. He, like many of his brothers, cultivated the field and grazed cattle (oxen). But one fine day, Heavenly Zhinyu (weaver) fell in love with a young boy. I couldn’t contain my feelings and went down to the ground with him. She married him, and subsequently a radiant daughter and son were born. Everything was going just fine, but unfortunately for them, the Lord of Heaven Tiandi found out about this union of a heavenly creature and a mere mortal. He ordered to return his ward back to heaven, which was immediately done by the warrior Vanmu. Poor shepherd Niulan tried to bring his wife back, but the heavenly lords, with the help of their miraculous powers, drew a Silver River between the lovers. So the lovers found themselves on different banks and could not approach each other. Luckily for them, the magpies took pity on the two broken hearts. They gathered huge flocks from all over the world and formed a bridge. The warrior Vanmu gave her permission for lovers to meet once a year in this sacred place. It is on this day that noisy and cheerful fairs are held in China, where souvenirs and gifts for the Qi Xi holiday are sold. Large-scale fortune telling is also held on this holiday. Almost all young girls who live in the state participate in them. On this holiday, older women pray to the gods to give their families happiness and prosperity. Then they make talismans with their own hands from laces and all sorts of trinkets and throw them on the roofs of their houses. All these crafts made from bright little things represent the tail of a magpie for the Chinese. Also a sign of unprecedented luck on this holiday is a shooting star. Whoever sees her will be happy all next year. During the celebration, the Chinese put a variety of national dishes on the festive table. The menu, of course, may vary slightly depending on the region, but the basis of the entire feast is always: halva, dumplings and noodles. Overall, a Chinese holiday that is unique in its content and colorful in its execution.