Week 5

Valentines Day

Last week was Valentine's Day. There are many similarities and many differences between American and Chinese Valentine's Day. Recently the American version of Valentine's Day has been taking hold with the younger generation. A similar, more recognized holiday takes place on July 7th, however. This is known as the Qixi Festival. At the Qixi Festival gifts are exchanged between boyfriends and girlfriends. The older generation focus on a beautiful, but sad love story associated with the Festival. The fairy tale tells the story of two people who fell in love, a goddess (weaver girl) and mortal (cowherd). The goddess ran away from the heavens and married the mortal. They lived had two children and lived together for years. The goddesses mother learned of the marriage and forced the goddess back to the heavens. Her husband's ox began to talk and told the husband if he killed it and put on its hide he would be able to travel to the heavens to find his wife. The husband took their children and the ox hide and travelled to the heavens. The goddesses mother learned of the husbands plan and created a wide river across the sky (the Milky Way). Unable to cross the river the husband and wife sat on opposite banks. Once a year the magpies take pity on the husband and wife and fly to the heavens creating a bridge, allowing the husband, wife to be together for one night.