Double Seventh Festival 2017 - China's Valentine's Day

Hi, everybody, I want to tell you today( August 28, 2017) is a special day, the Double Seventh Festival(Qixi festival, 七夕节). It is traditional festival in China, and it also to be called the Valentines’ day of China. It's annually observed on the 7th day of the 7th month of the Chinese calendar. The festival is also known as the "begging day " or "girls' day".

The Double Seventh Festival takes the folk legend as the carrier of the cowherd and weaving girl, expressing the feelings of married men and women who never abandon each other and grow old together, and abide by the commitment of the two sides to love. With the evolution of time, the Double Seventh festival has become China's valentine's day.Since the main participants in this day's activities are teenage girls, the festival activities are mainly about begging for needlework. And that is why people called it the day "begging day " or "girls' day". On May 20, 2006, Qixi was listed in the first batch of national intangible cultural heritage list by the state council of China.

Customs Today

Today, the Qī Xī festival, you may want to know, what people will do, and what food they will eat? The answer is simple, as the Qixi festival has become a day for young people to show their love to their loved ones. So they will send gift to each other or go out on dates.

The Chinese Words You may Use:

Qī Xī
七夕
(Double Seventh Festival)

Qī Xī jié kuàilè
七夕节快乐
(Happy Double Seventh Festival)

qíngrén jié
情人节
(Valentine's Day)

qíngrén jié kuàilè
情人节快乐
(Happy Valentine's Day)

The Chinese Expressions You may Use for Date:

jīntiān yǒu kòng ma?
A：今天有空吗？
(Do you have free time today?)

wǒ yǒu kòng, zěn me le?
B：我有空，怎么了？
(I have free time, what's the matter?)

kěyǐ yuē nǐ chīfān / guàngjiē / kàn diànyǐng ma?
A：可以约你吃饭/逛街/看电影吗？
(Can I take you out for dining / shopping / watching a movie?)

hǎo a, hěn qīdài!
B：好啊，很期待！
(Fine, looking forward to it!)

Legend of Double Seventh Festival:

The Double Seventh Festival originates from a romantic legend about Zhīnǚ and Niúláng, who were the weaver girl and the cowherd respectively. Their love wasn't allowed and they were banished to opposite sides of the Silver River (a symbol of Milky Way). Only once a year a flock of magpies would form a bridge to reunite the lovers for one day only.

Sincerely wish you: every minute and every second there is someone think of you; every day and every year there is someone loves you; Every moment and every moment there is someone will accompany you! Happy Qī Xī festival!

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