Chinese Valentine's Day

[xianhua]

So who celebrated Chinese Valentine's Day? I didn't know the thing even existed until lunchtime. That meant rushing to the shops to get something for the wife (it turns out she didn't know it was today either, which given that she only checks the lunar calendar for family birthdays, isn't surpising. Two thoughts:

1. Another festival; another hit for the wallet. It's bad enough having Christmas and Chinese New Year to think about - but now - traditional Valentine's Day and Chinese Valentine's Day? My goodness.

2. What are we supposed to call it? I know I've been calling it Chinese Valentine's Day thus far, but that implies it's just a copycat version of Valentine's Day, which it isn't, given it's origins. I've just read it being called 'Double Seventh Festival' by a Chinese blogger, and Wikpedia has various names. Maybe I'll just call it 'Qixi', directly from the Chinese (七夕节). After all, I've always called 清明节 by its Chinese name.

[Senzhi]

Well ... my Chinese girlfriend and me agreed that I'd remember the (what you call) "traditional" Valentine's Day ... and she'd remember the "Chinese" Valentine's Day.

We are both in favour to equality amongst cultures ... and gender.

Nevertheless ... she forgot what day it was today ...

[gato]

After all, I've always called 清明节 by its Chinese name.

You shouldn't confuse 七夕 with 清明节.

清明节 is for mourning your deceased relatives.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Qingming_Festival

[rezaf]

well i bought flowers for gf. i made it cheap from 100 to 30. it looked good from the outside but by the time i got home i realised that there was some kind of smelly water dripping from it, so i just got rid of it and it took me a while to clean the smelly water off the floor. Anyway we went to watch a movie last night but all in all it wasn't a pleasent night.

[xianhua]

Eh? Who confused 清明节 with 七夕? I was simply demonstrating that with another festival, I've always used the Chinese name too.

[gougou]

Another festival; another hit for the wallet.

You could just stop spending, you know? There's no obligation to celebrate these festivals by spending money, and if your wife forgot, chances are it's not all that important to her anyway.

[gato]

Sorry, misread what you were saying. Didn't have my usual cup of coffee this morning.

[xianhua]

No worries.

Stop spending? Could you explain such a concept to my wife please.

[skylee]

Another name for the day is 乞巧節. To me the day is either 七夕 (not 七夕節) or 乞巧節.

[skylee]

And the 15th day of the 1st lunar month (元宵) is another festival (and much more popular) that can be called Chinese Valentine's day.

If you want to be a perfect husband, you could give your wife a gift on the 15th day of the 1st luner month, 14th February and then the 7th day of the 7th lunar month. Indeed to be the perfect husband you should give her a gift everyday.

[xianhua]

My wallet is well and truly empty now. As long as I don't ask her to dry the sheets on 洗晒节 I'll be alright. Actually, having just discovered that fesitval (Bathing and Basking festival that is - who comes up with these translations?), some of my musty old books could do with a good airing. The only problem being that living in England, the rain would get to them first.

Edited August 27, 2009 at 06:17 PM by xianhua

[HashiriKata]

My wallet is well and truly empty now.

Read their message and join them!

[buanryoh]

Does anybody know if the Chinese have always celebrated 七夕节 with such "passion"? I get the feeling that it's just a way of saying, perhaps even subconsciously, to Westerners, "Anything you can do, I can do better!" - a rival to Valentines Day in the West. Correct me if I'm wrong as I just writing this based on my observations without the luxury of a history book!

[skylee]

It's not a popular festival, at least not in Hong Kong. People here don't really celebrate it.

[studentyoung]

Does anybody know if the Chinese have always celebrated 七夕节 with such "passion"?

No, nowadays, Chinese people don’t celebrate 七夕 with passion. Even in the past, 七夕 was a day for people to miss or recall their sweeties in quiet with their deep love, while watching Altair and Vega in the Milky Way. A lot of love poem were made on this special and romantic day. Below is one of them, and I like it very much.

鹊桥仙 【宋】秦观

纤云弄巧，飞星传恨，银汉迢迢暗度。金风玉露一相逢，便胜却、人间无数。

柔情似水，佳期如梦，忍顾鹊桥归路。两情若是久长时，又岂在、朝朝暮暮。

注释：

鹊桥仙：此调专咏牛郎织女七夕相会事。始见欧阳修词，中有“鹊迎桥路接天津”句，故名。又名《金风玉露相逢曲》、《广寒秋》等。双调，五十六字，仄韵。

纤云弄巧：是说纤薄的云彩，变化多端，呈现出许多细巧的花样。

飞星：流星。一说指牵牛、织女二星。

银汉：银河。迢迢：遥远的样子。暗度：悄悄渡过。

金风玉露：指秋风白露。李商隐《辛未七夕》：“由来碧落银河畔，可要金风玉露时”。 金风：秋风，秋天在五行中属金。玉露：秋露。这句是说他们七夕相会。

忍顾：怎忍回视。

朝朝暮暮：指朝夕相聚。语出宋玉《高唐赋》。

http://zhidao.baidu.com/question/14191498.html

Cheers!

Edited August 28, 2009 at 08:58 AM by studentyoung