C HINESE LOVER’S DAY 中国情人节 七夕 ZHŌNG GUÓ QÍNG RÉN JIĒ---QĪ XĪ

WHAT DOES ‘QĪ XĪ’ MEAN? Qixi Festival (Chinese: 七夕节 ; literally "The Night of Sevens"), also known as Magpie Festival, falls on the seventh day of the seventh lunar month on the Chinese calendar; thus its name. Other common names for the festival are the Qi Qiao Jie, Seven Sisters Festival or the Festival of the Double Sevens.Chinese 七夕节MagpieChinese calendar

In late summer, the stars Altair and Vega are high in the night sky, and the Chinese tell the following love story, of which there are many variations. There are two major legends surrounding the origins of Chinese Valentine's Day. Both involve the position of the two stars on the seventh day of the seventh month in the Chinese lunar calendar. We call the star Altair ( 牛郎 niú láng : Cowheard) and the star Vega ( 织女 zhī n ǚ : Weavergirl). 牛郎（ cowherd ） and 织女 (Weavergirl)

STORIES OF THIS FESTIVAL VERSION 1 The seven daughters of the Goddess of Heaven caught the eye of a Cowherd during one of their visits to earth. The daughters were bathing in a river and the Cowherd, Niu Lang, decided to have a bit of fun by running off with their clothing. It fell upon the prettiest daughter (who happened to be the seventh born), to ask him to return their clothes. Of course, since Niu Lang had seen the daughter, Zhinü, naked, they had to be married. The couple lived happily for several years. Eventually however, the Goddess of Heaven became fed up with her daughter's absence, and ordered her to return to heaven. However, the mother took pity on the couple and allowed them to be reunited once a year. Legend has it that on the seventh night of the seventh moon, magpies form a bridge with their wings for Zhinü to cross to meet her husband. VERSION 2 In the second story, Niu Lang and Zhinü were fairies living on opposite sides of the Milky Way. Feeling sorry for the two lonely sprites, the Jade Emperor of Heaven actively tried to bring them together. Unfortunately, he succeeded too well - Niu Lang and Zhinü became so enraptured with each other that they neglected their work. Annoyed, the Jade Emperor decreed that from that point on, the couple could only meet once a year - on the seventh night of the seventh moon. Today, star gazers celebrate Qi Xi by gazing up at the star Vega, east of the Milky Way which represents Zhinü, and at the constellation Aquila, on the west side of the Milky Way, where Niu Lang waits for his lover to join him.