7/31/06 ~ Chinese Valentine's Day

On the Rio: David Gray ~ White Ladder.

Today is “Valentine’s Day” in China.

According to ancient Chinese mythology an orphaned Cowherd and the 7th daughter of Emperor of Heaven, the Weaver Maid, who were lovers, were separated by the Queen Mother of the Western Heavens. The 7th daughter was forced to move to the star Vega and the Cowherd moved to the star Altair. The distance between Vega and Altair is 16 light years. They cannot meet in the sky, as they are too far apart. In the ancient story, magpies spread their wings to form a bridge across the Milkyway on July 7, enabling the couple to meet for one night in heaven.

On the Chinese Valentine's Day, people in love like to go to the temple of Matchmaker and pray for their love and the possible marriage in China. People still single will do the same thing to ask their luck of love in the Matchmaker temple.

The Chinese Valentine's Day is also called The Daughter's Festival. Long ago, Chinese girls always wanted to train themselves to have good handcrafting skills like the Weaving Maid. The skill is essential for their future family. On that night, the unmarried girls may pray for the Weaving Maid star to let them become smarter. When the star Vega is high up in the sky, girls do a test, which is to put a needle on the water surface. If the needle doesn't sink, then the girl is already smart enough and ready to find a husband. Girls may ask for any wish, but only one per year.

In some Chinese provinces, people believe that decorating the flowers on the ox's horn on the Chinese Valentine's Day prevents disasters. Also, girls throw the five-color ropes, made at the Chinese Dragon Boat festival, on the roof for magpies who will carry the ropes to build the bridge.

In Nanjing in East China’s Jiangsu Province, a total of 770,000 colored paper birds decorated the castle of the Zhonghua Gate, wishing the city good luck in love.

And nearly 40 young people in traditional Han Dynasty (206 BC – 220 AD) costumes, gathered in Chengdu, Southwest China’s Sichuan Province yesterday to celebrate the festival.

According to the Chinese lunar calendar, there will be two Valentine's festivals this year. So the Cowhered and Weaving Maid can meet again, when the next festival falls on August 31.