中国七夕节英文介绍

每年的农历七月初七被称为“七夕”。阿拉伯数字“7”在汉语中写做“七”，而“夕”在古汉语中指夜晚，所以“七夕”的字面义就是农历七月初七的晚上。

The day falls on the seventh day of the seventh lunar month and seven is qi in Chinese. So that explains qi in the name of the festival. Xi means “night” in ancient Chinese, so qixi means the evening of the seventh day of the seventh month. 

七夕节也称“乞巧节”，是闺中女子向织女祈求智慧和巧技的日子。姑娘们祈祷自己能有一双织女般的巧手，寻得一位如意郎君。

But qixi wasn’t a festival for lovers until recently. It was initially a time for unwed women to beg the weaving goddess for domestic skills. They’d also pray for a good husband. 

传说天上的织女与牛郎相恋，便留在人间和他生儿育女。可是织女擅离天庭，私配凡人，触怒了王母娘娘。于是她在天界划了一道银河，将牛郎织女拆散，一对有情人从此天各一方。

Lore holds the weaving goddess fell for a herder, and the pair ran away to live together. But her mother was furious, since gods and humans are forbidden to cohabitate. So, she created the Milky Way to separate the couple.

幸运的是，一群喜鹊被二人的爱情感动，跨越银河搭成鹊桥。从此，每逢农历七月初七，牛郎织女便得以鹊桥相会。

A flock of magpies was moved by their love and decided to form a bridge across the galactic band to enable them to reunite every year on the seventh day of the seventh lunar month-or, qixi.

Double Seventh Festival

The Double Seventh Festival, on the 7th day of the 7th lunar month, is a traditional festival full of romance. It often goes into August in the Gregorian calendar

This festival is in mid-summer when the weather is warm and the grass and trees reveal their luxurious greens. At night when the sky is dotted with stars, and people can see the Milky Way spanning from the north to the south. On each bank of it is a bright star, which see each other from afar. They are the Cowherd and Weaver Maid, and about them there is a beautiful love story passed down from generation to generation.

Long, long ago, there was an honest and kind-hearted fellow named Niu Lang (Cowhand). His parents died when he was a child. Later he was driven out of his home by his sister-in-law. So he lived by himself herding cattle and farming. One day, a fairy from heaven Zhi Nu (Weaver Maid) fell in love with him and came down secretly to earth and married him. The cowhand farmed in the field and the Weaver Maid wove at home. They lived a happy life and gave birth to a boy and a girl. Unfortunately, the God of Heaven soon found out the fact and ordered the Queen Mother of the Western Heavens to bring the Weaver Maid back.

With the help of celestial cattle, the Cowhand flew to heaven with his son and daughter. At the time when he was about to catch up with his wife, the Queen Mother took off one of her gold hairpins and made a stroke. One billowy river appeared in front of the Cowhand. The Cowhand and Weaver Maid were separated on the two banks forever and could only feel their tears. Their loyalty to love touched magpies, so tens of thousands of magpies came to build a bridge for the Cowhand and Weaver Maid to meet each other. The Queen Mother was eventually moved and allowed them to meet each year on the 7th of the 7th lunar month. Hence their meeting date has been called "Qi Xi" (Double Seventh).

Scholars have shown the Double Seventh Festival originated from the Han Dynasty (206 BC-AD220). Historical documents from the Eastern Jin Dynasty (AD371-420) mention the festival, while records from the Tang Dynasty (618-907) depict the grand evening banquet of Emperor Taizong and his concubines. By the Song (960-1279) and Yuan (1279-1368) dynasties, special articles for the "Qi Xi" were seen being sold on markets in the capital. The bustling markets demonstrated the significance of the festival.

Today some traditional customs are still observed in rural areas of China, but have been weakened or diluted in urban cities. However, the legend of the Cowhand and Weaver Maid has taken root in the hearts of the people. In recent years, in particular, urban youths have celebrated it as Valentine's Day in China. As a result, owners of flower shops, bars and stores are full of joy as they sell more commodities for love.

China Qixi Festival
The Qixi Festival also known as the Qiqiao Festival , is a Chinese festival that celebrates the annual meeting of the cowherd and weaver girl in Chinese mythology. It falls on the seventh day of the 7th month on the Chinese calendar. It is sometimes called the Chinese Valentine's Day.