General Discussion - The Chinese Valentine's Day——七夕（qi1 xi1）

Today is Chinese Valentine's Day------Double-Seventh Day.

VALENTINE'S Day in China, the seventh day of the seventh lunar month, falls on August 26 this year.

Tonight,please raise your head and gaze at the stars, you will find something romantic going on in the sky.

That is 牛郎Niu2 Lang2 and 织女Zhi1 Nv3 will meet on a bridge of magpies（鹊桥） across the Milky Way（银河）. Chinese grannies will remind children that they would not be able to see any magpies on this evening because all the magpies have left to form a bridge in the heavens with their wings.

The following is one of the most famous poems about the legend was written by 秦观（Qin2 Guan1） of in the Song Dynasty宋朝(960-1279).

------

Fairy Of The Magpie Bridge

Among the beautiful clouds,

Over the heavenly river,

Crosses the weaving maiden.

A night of rendezvous,

Across the autumn sky.

Surpasses joy on earth.

Moments of tender love and dream,

So sad to leave the magpie bridge.

Eternal love between us two,

Shall withstand the time apart.

鹊桥仙

宋·秦观

织云弄巧（zhi1 yun2 nong4 qiao3）

飞星传恨(fei1 xing1 chuan2 hen4)

银汉迢迢暗度（yin2 han4 tiao2tiao2 an4 du4）

金风玉露一相逢(jin1 feng1 yu4 lu4 yi1 xiang1 feng2)

便胜却人间无数（bian4 sheng4 que4 ren2 jian1 wu2 shu4）

柔情似水(rou2 qing2 si4 shui3)

佳期如梦(jia1 qi1 ru2 meng4)

忍顾鹊桥归路(ren3 gu4 que4 qiao2 gui1 lu4)

两情若是久长时(liang3 qing2 ruo4 shi4 jiu3 chang2 shi2)

又岂在朝朝暮暮(you4 qi3 zai4 zhao1zhao1 mu4mu4)

Unlike St. Valentine's Day in Western countries there is not so much emphasis on giving chocolates, flowers and kisses. Instead, Chinese girls prepare fruits, melons and incense(熏香xun1 xiang1) as offerings to 织女, the weaving maiden, praying to acquire high skills in needlecraft(裁缝cai feng), as well as hoping to find satisfactory husbands.

　　In the evening, people sit outdoors to observe the stars. Chinese grannies would say that, if you stand under a grapevine, you can probably overhear what 织女 and 牛郎 are talking about..

This traditional festive is also called “Qi Qiao Jie (乞巧节 The Festival to Plead for Skills )”or

 “nv er jie(女儿节The Daughter's Festival)”。

Uh-ha,you know what?In my hometown , today is called “lin li jie (邻里节the Neighborhood’s Festival )”.

　Hostess cooks 蚕豆horse-beans（can2 dou4）and then sends them to their neighborhood.

It turn out to be extremely friendly.

Why do we cook蚕豆？Because 蚕and缠 are alike in sound. We hope good luck accompany缠着 us all the way,as like natural affection and good-fellowship,even love.

Quite a few such characters are alike in sound in Chinese.

For example,you mustn't give a clock in China because the Chinese character for clock is similar to the word for funeral.

Okay，every guys，happy Chinese Valentine’s Day!

                                                                                          ——your friend , vickie