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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
