What is the Qixi Festival? Google Doodle dives into romantic legend behind Chinese Valentine's Day
If you didn't get to celebrate this year’s Valentine's Day, no worries! Qixi Festival is another chance to celebrate the day of love. A day celebrated in Taiwan, Singapore and other parts of Asia based on a romantic legend, represents the new Google Doodle, illustrated by Celine You with red stamps.
According to Doodles Archive, it is also known as the Double Seventh Festival, the Night of the Sevens and the Magpie Festival. It is observed on the seventh day of the seventh month on the lunar calendar. On this day, singles and couples exchange gifts such as roses and candy with their romantic interests.
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The history of Qixi Festival
The festival has origins dating back to the Han Dynasty. Older traditions used to include demonstrations of crafting skills, worship services devoted to Zhinu (one of the legends behind the festival) and flower-hanging ceremonies honoring oxen.
The legend behind the festival
The legend behind the day revolves around two star-crossed lovers, Zhinu, a weaver girl and daughter of a powerful goddess, and Niulang, a humble oxherd. These two fell madly in love despite their differences. And Zhinu decided to stay on Earth without permission and became a weaver girl, got married, lived a happy life with Niulang, and eventually gave birth to two children, a boy and a girl.
As per Doodle's Archive, when the queen mother of the heavens learned of their marriage, she forced Zhinu to return. Niulang, with their two children, followed his wife and flew into the skies above to save her. But the queen used her hairpin to create a river, the Milky Way, between the Earth and the heavens, so that he is unable to make his way to Zhinu. However, the couple’s sorrow was felt throughout the universe and moved by the despair of their separation, the queen allowed the family to meet on the double seventh via a bridge of magpies flying over the river.
According to Timeout, on this day, women dress up in Hanfu – a traditional Chinese-clothing that has a long flowing robe with loose sleeves and a belt at the waist. They spend the day preparing offerings of tea, wine, flowers, and various fruits to pray to Zhinu for wisdom and to grant their wishes. Single women would pray to the celestial couple to grant them a good spouse, and newly married women would wish to bear a baby.