Qixi Festival 2020: Google Doodle celebrates Chinese Valentine’s Day

Google Doodle celebrates Chinese Valentine’s day Qixi Festival 2020, also known as the Qiqiao Festival, Double Seventh Festival, Chi Hsi Festival, or the Magpie Festival, on August 25, 2020.

This festival of love is celebrated in Taiwan every year on the seventh day of the seventh lunar month on the Chinese calendar.

The celebration started from the romantic legend of two sweethearts, Zhinü and Niulang, who were the weaver girl and the cowherd, respectively. The story of The Cowherd and the Weaver Girl has been praised in the Qixi Festival since the Han administration. The most punctual known reference to this acclaimed legend goes back to more than 2600 years prior, which was told in a poem from the Classic of Poetry. The Qixi festival enlivened the Tanabata festival in Japan, the Chilseok festival in Korea, and Thất Tịch festival in Vietnam.

The celebration has differently been known as the Double Seventh Festival, the Chinese Valentine’s Day, the Night of Sevens, or the Magpie Festival.

Read More: Qixi Festival 2020: History and Significance of the Chinese Valentine’s Day

The overall story is a romantic tale between Zhinü (the weaver girl, representing Vega) and Niulang (the cowherd, representing Altair). Their love was not permitted, hence they were expelled to inverse sides of the Silver River (representing the Milky Way). When a year, on the seventh day of the seventh lunar month, a flock of magpies would form a bridge to meet the lovers for one day. There are numerous varieties of the story.

During the festival, girls make a showcase of their household abilities. Generally, there would be challenges among the individuals who endeavored to be the best in stringing needles under low-light conditions like the shine of an ember or a half-moon.

The festival likewise held a significance for love bird couples. Generally, they would worship the heavenly couple for the last time and say goodbye to them. The festival stood symbol for a happy marriage and demonstrated that the wedded lady was loved by her new family.

On August 25, 2020, Google praises the Qixi Festival 2020 with excellent Doodle. Affected by Niúláng’s heartbreak, a huge number of magpies formed a bridge over the river to meet the couple, a scene rethought in the Google Doodle work of art. Thus, the goddess consented to permit the star-crossed lovers to meet once per year on this day.

Read More: Qixi Festival 2019: Google celebrates Chinese Qiqiao Festival with a shining doodle