👥CULTURAL CUSTOM
4 August — Happy Chinese Valentine’s Day!
Unlike International lover’s day - aka Valentine’s Day - which follows a set annual date, the Chinese version fluctuates according to the 7th day of the 7th lunar Month, known as the Qixi (Double Seventh) Festival. This year (2022) in the Gregorian calendar it falls on 4 August. Given that distance maybe separating many lovers during Covid lockdowns, this little festival may take on a new meaning this year! And marking is free.
Seven is ‘Qi’ in Chinese and ‘Xi’ means night, in ancient Chinese - so Qixi means the evening of the seventh day of the seventh month. Also xi que 喜鹊 means Magpie (more on magpies link below). Xi means "happiness" because the first character xi is the same word as happy (xi 喜). The wording is important, as the time of day plays a role in the significance of the Festival.
The roots of the festival also have meaning to the Ancient Chinese assigning names to their calendar months. The seven lunar month was known as ‘Skills’ Month, when ‘women’s’ dexterity in all things domesticated was celebrated, especially the skill of needlework. Asian legend and lore speaks of the veneration of the Goddess Chih’nu — the daughter of the Jade Emperor and the Celestial Queen Mother. She was the weaver of the stars and their light - the Goddess of Weaving.
Legend says a young girl named Hua Lei ( Zhi Nu) aka Goddess Chih Nu, had notable weaving prowess and wove the heavenly skies and celestial stars. A weaver of seamless garments for the Gods. Ever since, the day is marked as a day of veneration for finessing needlework skills; the blessing of the Goddess was also sought with prayers for a good husband.
Over time the story unfolded as the ‘weaver girl’ who fell in love with a ‘Cow herd’ boy - Niu Lang (Cowherder) and Zhi Nu (Weaver Girl). Modernity now refers to this date as Chinese Valentine’s Day. (Note, some Chinese people also note another date as “true’ Valentines Day.) The romantic legend of forbidden love, between the weaver girl now symbolized by Vega, and her Cowherd lover, symbolizing Altair - two stars separated by the Milky Way. Once a year; on the 7th day of the 7th lunar month, folklore dictates Queen of Heaven permits a flock of magpies form a ‘bridge’, over the Milk Way to reunite the lovers for one day only. A pair of magpies symbolises marriage.
Star gazing is a preoccupation among star crossed lovers on this Double Seventh evening, as they gaze to see a third star appear and unite Vega — the second-brightest star in the northern celestial hemisphere, brightest in Lyra Constellation —with Altair, brightest in the Aquila constellation. The third star is Deneb, forms an asterism, that’s known in astronomy circles as the “Summer Triangle” in the Northern Hemisphere. Deneb is the ‘tail’ of the Cygnus (swan), acts as the marker of the aforementioned bridge. Vega is called "waqi” in Arabic, meaning "falling" or "swooping." Swooping trait of Magpies, Swans mate for life not to mention the seven magpie rhyme! Interesting to note that Vega swoops below the horizon for 7 hours a day(depending on your location) but it’s visible in the night sky year round. So much so since ‘north’ shifts over time Vega was deemed the “North Star” and apparently will rank so again in about 12,000 years, when the next precession occurs ¹. The star Vega; along with North Star Polaris and the seven stars of the Big Dipper are used in the nine star Ki system and through out Chinese cosmology. Vega and Polaris represent Yin and Yang respectively - female and male.
Personally I just love this legend over the western observation of February 14th, which has no astrological significance - funny though, that double seven is 14 and the February is the second month in the western calendar. . . . . . Chih’nu, the deity of of arts and crafts, draws a strong parallel with Goddess Brigid in Pagan culture. As I now live in S.Hemi, I’m celebrated Spring where Imbolc (Spring) and Brigid interwoven in Irish folklore.
Perhaps the celestial starlore story is the seed of inspiration for Shakespeare’s coining of the term, ‘star crossed lovers’?
*Link to identify Vega in the sky. Vega is almost directly overhead at mid northern latitudes on midsummer nights, and down under its skirts the horizon. Earth Sky website notes if you’re in the Northern Hemisphere, you’ll find beautiful, bluish Vega easily, simply by looking northeastward at mid-evening. Vega is so bright that you can see it on a moonlit night. Southern Hemisphere peeps, this phenomenon is sometimes called the ‘Winter Triangle” down under with Altair on top, and Deneb and Vega sinking as the night wears on …… S.H viewers also read more here.
ⓒ FENG SHUi iSM
¹ Joe Rao is Space.com's