Chinese Valentines Day

Celebrate Chinese Valentines Day This Year on "August 26"

We start our journey of life with our friends and hope that it also ends with our friends. Friends occupy a special Come this August and celebrate Chinese Valentine's Day. On this glorious day, you will see China draped in the colors of love and romance. Chinese Valentine's Day is on the similar lines of Valentine's day, which is celebrated on 14th February, in western countries with much pomp and pageantry. Qi Qiao Jie, or the seventh eve, is referred to as Chinese Valentine's Day, is an annual tribute to love. Love birds eagerly awaits to spend this romantic day with their mate and open their hearts out. This is also an apt day to propose a person you are in love with or take your sweetheart out on a date to some romantic place and greet him/her with meaningful gifts.

Chinese Valentine's Day, is also popularly known as, 'The Daughter's Festival', that falls on the 7th day of the 7th lunar month in the Chinese calender. As the legend goes, the day is celebrated, to mark the love story between the seventh daughter of Emperor of heaven and an orphaned cowhead.

Chinese Valentine's Day lights up the whole atmosphere and fill excitement in everyone's heart. Love couples go to the temple of matchmaker and pray for their their love and happy married life. Girls and boys dress to their finery to impress each other.

Not many of us know that Chinese Valentines Day is not celebrated on February 14. Strange!!!! Yes, China celebrates Valentine's Day on August 4th. Well, there is a story to follow this. The seventh daughter of heaven fell in love with a cowherd and married. Both equally loved each other. It was because of their deep love that they forgot everything. This offended the emperor and he punished both of them. Both of them were allowed to meet once in a year on the seventh night of seventh month of year. That is the reason why people celebrate 7th August as a Valentine's Day.

Chinese Valentines Day Traditions

There are quite a good number of traditions associated with Chinese Valentines Day. People offer their prayers to Zhi Nu who is believed to be waiting for his wife on the western side.

• You will find many Chinese girls preparing melons and fruits to offer prayers to Zhi Nu in order to find a better match for them. Some girls even place needles on the water and if the needle does not sink, the girl is believed to be mature enough to find a husband.
• There is yet another tradition of decorating the oxen horns with beautiful flowers.
• Women thoroughly wash their hair to give it a shiny and glowing look.
• Lovers go to a match-making temple to pray for a prosperous life ahead. In the evening, they spend their time looking at the stars. People believe that this is the time when Vega and Altair come close. So, this is the best time to witness a beautiful encounter.
• The old people of China will also ask you to stand under a grapevine. Then you can hear what Zhi Nu and Niu Lang are conversing to each other.

Chinese Valentines Day Gifts

• Romantic Keepsakes: You will find a good number of romantic keepsakes that perfectly match to the joy of this occasion. Moreover, a romantic keepsake continues to bring back the fonder memories of this day. Starting from some Chinese art forms like paintings and beautiful wall hangings to exotic keepsake boxes, you are sure to win his/her heart all over again.
• Lucky coins: Coins are something that you can always share with your boyfriend or girlfriend to spread prosperity in their life. Shuffle them and you are bound to get a cute message.
• Chimes: Chimes are certainly a unique Chinese Valentine's gifts that you gift to your friends and even to the special person of your life. They become a memorable memento for this day reminding you of some beautiful moments. You will easily find them in reputed stores. Do not worry, he/she will love a chime as a Valentine's day gift.

To sum up, Chinese Valentines Day continues to carry the spirit that other countries follow. Love, love, and only love is something that underlines to the success of this wondrous occasion.