QiXi Festival The Chinese Valentine

 

event, 'The');" target="_self">The Qi Xi Jie orThe Chinese Valentine's Dayoccurs on the 7th Day of the 7th Month of the lunar year. This year, Qi Xi Jie occurs on 19th August, 2007.

In 2006, it fell on July 31, 2006. Because 2006 is a leap year with 7-th month being the leap month;
So there was a second Qi Xi on August 30, 2006. The last time this happened was 35 years ago.

In 2005, it occured on 11th August, 2005 and in 2004, it was 22nd August.

The Festival

On the Chinese Valentine's Day, people in love like to go to the temple of Matchmaker and pray for their love and the possible marriages. People who are still single will do the same thing to ask their luck of love in the Matchmaker temple.

The Chinese Valentine's Day is also calledQi Xi Jie (七夕节).  Long ago, Chinese girls always wanted to train themselves having a good handcrafting skill like the Weaving Maid. The skill is essential for their future family. On that night, the unmarried girls may pray for the Weaving Maid star to let them become smarter. When the star Vega is high up in the sky, girls do a test, which is to put a needle on the water surface. If the needle doesn't sink, then girl is already smart enough and ready to find a husband. Girls may ask for any wish, but only one per year.

In some Chinese provinces, people believe that decorating the flowers on the ox's horn on the Chinese Valentine's Day can prevent misfortute. On the night of Valentine's Day, women wash their hair to give it a fresh and shiny outlook. Children wash their face in the next morning of the Valentine's Day using the overnight water in their backyards to have a much more naturally beautiful appearance. Girls throw the five-color ropes, made atChinese Dragon Boat festival, on the rooff for magpies. Magpies will carry ropes to build the bridge.