What is Qixi Festival and why people celebrate it

The legend behind Chinese Valentine's Day revolves around two star-crossed lovers, Zhinhu, a weaver girl and daughter of a powerful goddess, and Niulang, a humble cowherd. For the two, it was love at first sight. Eventually, they got married and Zhinhu gave birth to two children, a boy and a girl. However, when Zhinhu's mother discovered that her daughter married a mere mortal, she brought her back to heaven and casted a massive river between earth and heaven to separate the couple – which is now referred to as the Milky Way. Touched by the love between Zhinhu and Niulang, the magpies on land flew up to heaven and helped the couple by forming a bridge across the river, allowing the two to reunite. Their love moved Zhinhu's mother, who eventually permitted the couple to meet once a year on that very same day, which is the seventh day of the seventh lunar month.

Many customs and practices are associated with the Qixi Festival. Traditionally, it is a day when women dress up in Hanfu – traditional Chinese-clothing that has a long flowing robe with loose sleeves and a belt at the waist – and spend the day preparing offerings of tea, wine, flowers, and various fruits to pray to Zhinu for wisdom and to grant their wishes. Single women would pray to the celestial couple in hopes to find a good spouse, and newly married women would wish to bear a baby. Later in the night, the women will gather around and compete with each other on threading a needle.

Qiaoguo I Photograph: Courtesy cc/Flickr/bematchstick
While there are several food customs prepared during Qixi, which vary regionally, a popular dish made and eaten during the festival is Qiaoguo, a thin piece of fried pastry made with oil, flour, sugar, and honey. People believe that by eating Qiaoguo, it will help reunite the couple on the Magpie Bridge – plus, these morsels are delicious to eat anyways!

Today, however, only a few of these customs remain, as the festival has become increasingly commercialised – with many couples celebrating by going on dates and giving each other gifts on the day. 

Despite the Qixi Festival being treated similarly to the western Valentine’s Day, there are still many reasons why it should be celebrated. Rich with history and heritage, the festival is a valuable opportunity to reconnect with our cultural roots and another holiday to spend with your partner to show how much they mean to you. As for happy singletons, the Qixi Festival also means there will be a ton of special sales and promos on offer – what’s not to love? So, whether you're thinking of making some Qiaoguo, planning for your next shopping spree, or just showing your significant other some extra love, celebrate the date and keep the tradition alive.