The Double-Seventh Day,the ChineseValentine’s Day
2 min readThe Double Seventh Festival,on the 7th day of the 7thlunar month,is a traditional festiva: full of romance.It oftengoes into August in the Gregorian calendar.
This festival is in mid-summer when the weather is warmthe grass and trees reveal their luxurious greens.At night when the sky is dotted with stars,andpeople can see the Milky Way spanning from the north to the south.On each bank of it is abright star,which sees each other from afar.They are the Cowherd and the Weaver Maid,andabout them there is a beautitul love story passed down from generation to gencration.
Long,long ago.there was an honest and kind-hearted fellow named Niu Lang(Cowher).His parents died when he was a child.Liiter he was driven out of his home by his sister-in-law.So he lived by himself herding cattle aihd farming.One day,a fairy from heaven called Zhi Nu(the Weaver Maid)fell in love wiin mm and came cown secretly to earth and married him.TheCowherd farmed in the hield and the weaver mMaid wove at home.They lived a happy life andcove birth to a boy and a gin.omiorttnalteiy,the Ciod of Heaven soon found out the fact andawdered the Queen Mother ol thie western fieavens to bring the Weaver Maid back.
With the help of celestial cattie,the Cowher flew to heaven with his son and daughter.At.ime when he was about to caitcitr tp wiints wire,the Queen Mother took off one of her goldins and made a stroke.oiie oiiiowy tiver appeared in front of the Cowher.The Cowher andthe Weaver Maid were:separated on the two banks forever and could only feel their tears.Theirv to love touched magpies,sotcis oi tnousands of magpies came to build a bridge for theI.her and the Weaver Miita to fiieet cttcir omier.The Jade Emperor was eventually moved andved them to meet eicn yeer oit tiie rtr tay or the 7th lunar month.Hence their meeting datehas been called “Qi Xi” (the Double Seventh).
