The Origin of Valentine's Day in China

Valentine's Day in China originated from the worship of nature and the custom of women's embroidery. Later, because of the legend of Cowherd and Weaver Girl, it was given the meaning of love. Because the Weaver Girl has a pair of skillful hands that can weave clouds, folk girls all hope to get the aura of the Weaver Girl, so on this day's Tanabata, the custom of "begging for cleverness" was formed.

The "Cowherd and Weaver Girl" on Tanabata originated from people's worship of natural phenomena. In ancient times, planetariums were associated with geographical areas. This correspondence is called "dividing stars" in astronomy and "dividing fields" in geography. According to legend, on the seventh day of July every year, the Cowherd and the Weaver Girl will meet at the Magpie Bridge in the sky.

Related customs

Valentine's Day in China began in ancient times, spread in the Western Han Dynasty and flourished in the Song Dynasty. In ancient times, Valentine's Day in China was an exclusive festival for beautiful girls. Among the numerous folk customs of Qixi, some have gradually disappeared, but quite a few have been continued by people.

Valentine's Day in China originated in China, and it is also celebrated in some Asian countries influenced by China culture, such as Japan, Korean Peninsula and Viet Nam. On May 20th, 2006, China Valentine's Day was listed in the first batch of national intangible cultural heritage by People's Republic of China (PRC) and the State Council.