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The real Chinese Valentine's Day
Latest Updated by 2003-02-17 15:37:35
February has long been a month of romance. Though popular in China, the Western Valentine's Day contains vestiges of both Christian and ancient Roman traditions that we are not so familiar with.
This February, Chinese doubled the celebration of love, since the Lantern Festival, the 15th of the first lunar month, is regarded as the Chinese lovers'day following Valentine's Day.Still, the seventh day of the seventh month in the Chinese lunar calendar, the day when Niulang (the Cowboy) and Zhinu (the Weaving Girl) are supposed to meet, according to a Chinese legend, is devoted to love and is also regarded as a Chinese lover's day.
Should we celebrate three lover's days in one year? Or which is the generally accepted Chinese lover's day?
In my age group and circle of friends, Feb. 14 is much more popular than the other two. Some of my friends choose to express or announce their love on that day with the help of flowers and candlelight dinners. Also the atmosphere of celebration is stronger on Feb. 14. You can feel it everywhere, in the hotel, in the department store and on the street. The Western Valentine's Day has already been widely accepted. It is love, not the religion, that we are celebrating universally.
As for the other two days, they are both lunar dates and very Chinese. Traditionally Chinese are very reserved concerning love. So neither of them is appropriate to become a special festival for love.
I am sure the Lantern Festival is the Chinese Valentine's Day. The famous Song poem "when the moon climbs on the willow twig, the girl and boy date after dusk" describes an ancient love on the Lantern Day.
On that day, many traditional activities are held, such as garden parties, watching festive lanterns and guessing riddles. These activities meant a lot to young men and women in ancient times, since the Lantern Day was one of the few occasions women were allowed to go out. So lots of love stories, like love at first sight, secret dating, and wooing, occurred on that day.
There is cultural significance behind the Lantern Day. That's why I choose that day as the real Chinese Valentine's Day.
I prefer 7.7 to be the Chinese Valentine's Day. There is a romantic folk tale for that day about the meeting of Niulang and Zhinu. They meet only once in a year. A very touching story.
I heard that magpies are scarce on that day every year since they have flown to form the bridge for Zhinu to cross to meet with Niulang on the seventh evening of the seventh month. It is always hard for true love.
In my hometown, families have dinner together and stir-fry beans as snacks on that day. It feels sweet and warm, just the right feeling for a lover's day. And it's time we established our own Chinese lover's day.
Yes, there are historical sources behind each of the three dates. But, in my understanding, they are more products of business promotion. People are trapped into fixed patterns, sending expensive flowers, booking expensive dinners, saying "I love you" on the same day. Valentine's Day conjures up not only images of love and romance, but big money for business.
It is bourgeois and affected to have a special day to celebrate your private love. If you are in love, every day is Valentine's Day. If you lose your love, even an accepted Valentine's Day would become a day of a broken heart.
http://www.southcn.com/english/brief/culturearts/200302170709.htm