Valentine’s Day all around the world is a day of celebrations and joys. Expressing the love that blooms in the heart of each and every lover, this day brings a smile on each and every face. Like the rest of the world the Chinese also celebrate Valentine’s Day, but on a different date. The Chinese Valentine’s Day falls on the seventh day of the seventh lunar month. This year Chinese Valentine’s Day falls on August 15.
Story of Chinese Valentine’s Day
There is a very old romantic legend behind the Chinese Valentine’s Day. The people of China believe that the star Vega situated on the, east of the Milky Way, is Zhi Nu and on the western side of the Milky Way, Niu Lang waits for his wife.
Zhi Nu was known to be the youngest daughter of the Queen of Heaven. She used to work hard to weave beautiful clouds in the sky but was very lonely. On the other hand Niu Lang was a poor cowherd who had been thrown out of his home by his elder brother and his wife. He was also very lonely with his only companion, an old cow.
One evening Niu Lang sat quietly by the riverside and he saw the fairies who had come from their heavenly abode to take bath. Fascinated by the fairies, he quietly took the gown of one of them. As Zhi Nu came from her bath she couldn’t find her dress and she sadly saw the rest of the fairies fly back to heaven. After a while, Niu Lang came out with the dress and asked Zhi Nu to marry him.
When the heaven queen came to know about this, she took her youngest daughter back and only allowed the husband and the wife to meet once a year on the Milky Way. This day in China is celebrated as the Chinese Valentine’s Day.
Significance of Chinese Valentine’s Day
The Chinese express love in a very chaste and pure manner. The Chinese Valentine’s Day is mot about the physical attraction and romance but the undying bond of emotions that is shared between two lovers.
Chinese Valentine’s Day is not celebrated with chocolates and roses like in the western countries. Here the Chinese girls make a basket of gifts with fruits, melons and incense as offerings to Zhi Nu. They pray that they find a suitable match for themselves.
