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China's Valentine's Day comes from legends and traditions, not just romance.

China's Valentine's Day comes from legends and traditions, not just romance.

B1🇨🇳 中文🇺🇸 English

August 20th, 2026

China's Valentine's Day comes from legends and traditions, not just romance.

B1
Please note: This article has been simplified for language learning purposes. Some context and nuance from the original text may have been modified or removed.

🇺🇸 English

The Qixi Festival is celebrated on the seventh day of the seventh lunar month in China.

七夕节中国农历七月初七庆祝

In 2026, this festival falls on August 19.

2026年这个节日8月19日

This festival comes from legends, prayers, and cultural activities, not just romance.

这个节日来自传说祈祷文化活动不只是浪漫

Asian countries like Singapore and Vietnam also celebrate this festival.

新加坡越南亚洲国家庆祝这个节日

The Beijing Folk Museum held a "Qiqiao" themed event on Wednesday.

北京民俗博物馆在周三举办了“乞巧”主题活动

Traditionally, women prayed for skill through handicrafts.

传统上女性通过手工艺祈求灵巧

Jia Juan from the museum's public education department said they hope young visitors understand the meaning of traditional festivals through interactive experiences.

博物馆公共教育部的贾娟他们希望年轻观众通过互动体验理解传统节日的意义

The museum is inside Dongyue Temple. It has held related events for 14 years in a row, attracting about 500 people each time.

博物馆在东岳庙内已经连续14年举办相关活动每次吸引约500人

The activities included classical music performances and hands-on projects for families.

活动包括古典音乐表演家庭动手项目

Participants dyed their nails with balsam flowers or made Song brocade bead embroidery.

参与者用凤仙花染指甲或者制作宋锦珠绣

Wang Xuejie made "Qiaoguo" pastries with her 7-year-old daughter.

王雪洁带着7岁的女儿制作了“巧果”糕点

She said this helps them learn how ancient girls and women expressed their wishes for growing up.

她说能让她们了解古代女孩和妇女如何表达成长愿望

Qixi has two main parts. One is the story of the Cowherd and the Weaver Girl. The other is the custom of asking for skills.

七夕的核心有两个元素:牛郎织女的传说乞巧习俗

In the story, the Weaver Girl and the Cowherd fell in love. The Jade Emperor separated them on two sides of the Milky Way.

传说中织女牛郎相爱被玉帝分隔在银河两岸

Every year on the seventh day of the seventh month, they meet on a bridge of magpies.

每年七月初七他们在鹊桥相会

Jia Juan says that records of the Cowherd and the Weaver Girl go back to before 221 BC.

贾娟牛郎织女的记载可以追溯到公元前221年之前

The custom of asking for skills grew during the Han Dynasty.

乞巧习俗在汉代发展起来

In Singapore, researcher Lynn Wong is reviving the festival through the "Qixi Festival" initiative.

在新加坡研究员Lynn Wong通过“七夕节”倡议复兴这个节日

The event started in 2023 and this year runs until August 23.

活动从2023年开始今年持续到8月23日

Wong says she wants to create childhood memories for this generation of Singaporeans. These memories come with stories of their ancestors.

Wong说她希望为这一代新加坡人创造童年记忆这些记忆伴随祖先的故事

She found that many people her age had lost their cultural roots. So she interviewed elders and recorded their memories.

她发现许多同龄人失去了文化根基于是采访长者记录他们的记忆

Hor Xin Hao, whose family is from Guangdong, keeps traditional customs in Singapore.

祖籍广东的Hor Xin Hao在新加坡保持传统习俗

Late at night on the sixth day of the seventh lunar month, he sets up a prayer table. He offers gifts to the Seven Fairy Maidens.

在农历七月初六深夜祈祷桌向七仙女献祭

The offerings include incense, flowers, perfume, makeup, and soap.

祭品包括香水化妆品肥皂

Hor thinks the idea of Valentine's Day reduces the festival's original purpose.

Hor认为情人节的想法节日初衷缩减了

Qixi should celebrate traditional values and ancestral heritage. It shows how people see life through their connection with the universe.

七夕庆祝传统价值观祖先遗产体现人们通过自身与宇宙互动看待生活的方式。

August 20th, 2026

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