Google Doodle Celebrates Qixi Festival 2022; History and Traditions of Chinese Valentine’s Day

Today’s Google Doodle celebrates the Qixi Festival 2022, a traditional holiday celebrated in Taiwan, Singapore, and different parts of Asia in light of a romantic legend. It’s otherwise called the Double Seventh Festival, the Night of the Sevens, and the Magpie Festival. It is seen on the seventh day of the seventh month on the lunar calendar. On this day, singles and couples exchange gifts like roses and candy with their romantic interests.

The Qixi Festival (Double Seventh Festival), additionally called the Qiqiao Festival, is celebrated each 7th day of the 7th month as indicated by the Chinese lunar calendar. The festival is known as Chinese Valentine’s Day. It is the most romantic festival among traditional Chinese festivals.

In 2022, the date of the Qixi Festival will be 4 August.

The History and Traditions of Qixi Day

The Qixi Festival has its roots in ancient Chinese folklore. The legend goes that Zhinü, a weaving girl from Heaven, descended on Earth and fell in love with a mortal named Niulang. They married each other without the knowledge of Zhinü’s mom, the Goddess of Heaven. Zhinü bore Niulang two beautiful children and lived happily until her mom learned of her transgressions, went into a rage, and sent soldiers to recover her. Zhinü returned to Heaven.

In a little while, Niulang attempted to rescue his wife, however, the Goddess of Heaven took out her hairpin and made a massive river, thinking she had separated the lovers forever. Nonetheless, Niulang and Zhinü’s love was more grounded than she naturally suspected. It moved the magpies such a lot that they flew up to Heaven to form a bridge over the river.

Seeing the love between her child and a mortal man, the Goddess of Heaven permitted the lovers to meet on the magpie bridge on the 7th day of the 7th lunar month consistently — and that is the way the Qixi Festival appeared.

As per a few Chinese beliefs, the river represents the Milky Way, while Zhinü and Niulang river represents the constellations of Vega and Altair. The festival was first perceived as a formal occasion during the Han Dynasty, over 2,600 years ago. In spite of the fact that it sounds romantic, the festival was not at first expected for lovers but rather for young girls to worship the weaving fairy and hone their skills at handcraft.

Be that as it may, in modern times, individuals celebrate the day by gifting chocolates, flowers, and jewelry instead of following older customs.

The festival has been celebrated since the Han Dynasty (206 BC – 220 AD). On May 20, 2015, the Double Seventh Festival was added to the National Intangible Cultural Heritage list by the State Council of China. Large numbers of the traditional customs are disappearing, or presently not noticed. You are bound to track down these practices in rural areas:

1. Showing skills (demonstrating dexterity) was the most famous custom for women at night of Qixi. The longest-standing way to “plead skills” was to speedily thread a needle under moonlight quickly. Young women likewise carved exotic flowers, animals, and unusual birds, usually on melon skin.
2. Worshiping the weaver fairy (the star Vega), Zhinü (/jrr-nyoo/) involved a table of offerings: tea, wine, fruits, longans, red dates, hazelnuts, peanuts, and melon seeds. At night young women sat around the table, showing their needlework, gazing at Vega, and praying to God for a good husband and a happy life. Then they’d play games or read poems until midnight.
3. Honoring oxen: Kids picked lots of wildflowers and hung them on the horns of oxen to pay in honor of the legendary ox. See below.
4. Individuals made and ate ‘Expertise Fruit’ (巧果 qiǎo guǒ/chyaoww-gwor/’Skill Fruit’ (巧果 qiǎo guǒ /chyaoww-gwor/ ‘skill fruit’): fried, thin pastries of different shapes.