Happy Chinese Valentine's Day

The Double Seventh Festival, which refers to the seventh day of the seventh month on the Chinese lunar calendar, is a traditional festival full of romance. It often falls on August in the Gregorian calendar.

The festival celebrated in mid-summer when the sky is dotted with stars at night, people can see the Milky Way spanning from the north to the south. 

On each side of the Milky Way, people can see that there are two bright stars seem like gazing at each other from afar. They are the Cowherd and Weaver Maid who have a beautiful love story that was known by all chineses people.

In accordance with the legend, Niu Lang ( the Cowherd), an honest and kind-hearted man, lost his parents when he was still a child. 

Because he was driven out of his home by his sister-in-law, so he had to make a living by herding and farming. While Zhi Nu (the Weaver Maid), a fairy from heaven, virtuous and kind, managed to help the cowherd and fell in love with him. And then they get married secretly.

Niu Lang plowed in the field, while Zhi Nu wove at home. They were living a happy life and gave birth to a boy and a girl. 

But unfortunately, the King and Queen of Heaven soon found out finally and commanded Zhi Nu to go back to Heaven right away. Otherwise Niu Lang and her childern would get severe punishment. Zhi Nu had no choice but to obey the command.

Compared with love stories in Western legends, the story between Niu Lang and Zhi Nu seems not as intense or passionate as those classic love stories.

While the story between Niu Lang and Zhi Nu is famous in China and which is regarded as the true love between valentines. Therefore The Double Seventh Festival in China is also called the Chinese valentine's Day.