The Qixi Festival (七夕节, Qīxì Jié), known as the Chinese Valentine’s Day, is one of the most beautiful Chinese festivals combining ancient traditions, folk rituals, and modern festivities. It takes place on the 7th day of the 7th month of the Chinese lunar calendar, which falls on August 29, 2025 according to the Gregorian calendar. Like the Chinese New Year and Spring Festival, Qixi connects Chinese people to their ancestors, the cycles of the lunar year, and timeless values like love, family, and good fortune. For anyone joining an au pair program in China or studying Mandarin abroad, celebrating Qixi offers an unforgettable experience of Chinese culture and traditional Chinese customs.
1. The Ancient Origins of the Qixi Festival
The Qixi Festival originated more than 2,000 years ago during the Han Dynasty, inspired by the timeless legend of Niulang (the Cowherd) and Zhinu (the Weaver Girl). According to ancient Chinese mythology, Zhinu, a heavenly fairy, descended from the sky and fell in love with Niulang, a mortal. Enraged, the heavenly emperor separated them across the Milky Way, allowing them to meet only once a year, on the 7th day of the 7th lunar month. On that night, a bridge of magpies forms so the lovers can reunite. This story has been celebrated in Chinese calligraphy, paintings, and poems across many dynasties, and it still symbolizes loyalty, perseverance, and eternal love for Chinese people.
2. Rituals, Customs, and Symbolism
Like the Chinese New Year festival, the Qixi Festival is full of rituals and auspicious practices passed down for generations. Young women traditionally prayed to Zhinu for good fortune, happiness, and skill in weaving and calligraphy. Families offered seasonal fruits, tea, glutinous rice cakes, and dumplings, often wrapped in red envelopes decorated with Chinese characters symbolizing prosperity. Temples would host ceremonies where people burned incense, offered flowers, and wrote wishes on red paper, believing that these prayers would drive away evil spirits and invite blessings. In southern China, lion dances and dragon dances were performed, much like during Spring Festival, representing power, wealth, and protection against bad luck. Each customary ritual was designed to create a connection between the Chinese gods, the stars, and the lives of everyday people.
3. Qixi Festival Today: Tradition Meets Modernity
In modern China, the Qixi Festival has evolved into a celebration that mixes traditional Chinese culture with modern expressions of love. Shopping malls organize spectacular lantern festivals and stunning decorations, often themed around the story of Niulang and Zhinu. Parks host dragon dances, concerts, and New Year-style parades. Couples exchange red envelopes containing handwritten blessings, buy jade jewelry, and give symbolic gifts that are considered auspicious. As during the Chinese Lunar New Year, fireworks and firecrackers are set off to bring good luck and chase away evil spirits. Bakeries prepare festive foods like sesame pastries, glutinous rice cakes, red bean desserts, and sweet dumplings, all of which carry symbolic meanings of fertility, love, and prosperity. In many ways, Qixi now blends ancient beliefs with modern-day festivities, making it an exciting time for both locals and visitors.
4. Experiencing Qixi as an Au Pair or International Student
If you are part of an au pair program in China, celebrating the Qixi Festival offers a powerful opportunity for intercultural exchange. With your host family, you can prepare dumplings and glutinous rice cakes, decorate the home with lanterns and New Year greetings, and learn calligraphy to write blessings in traditional Chinese characters. You may also visit temples together to offer prayers or attend a local lantern festival. Grandparents often share stories about Chinese gods, folk legends, and customary practices during Qixi, giving you a deeper understanding of what this celebration truly symbolizes for Chinese people. These experiences are a perfect way to improve your Mandarin, connect with local traditions, and immerse yourself fully in Chinese culture.
5. Foods, Decorations, and Auspicious Symbols
Like other major Chinese lunar new year celebrations, food and symbols play a central role during the Qixi Festival. Families enjoy dumplings, sesame pastries, glutinous rice cakes, lotus seed desserts, and red bean pastries, all considered auspicious foods representing love, fertility, and good fortune. Red envelopes filled with blessings are exchanged, and decorations like lanterns and zodiac symbols are hung around homes to bring prosperity. Some people buy jade jewelry, wear new clothes, and set off firecrackers to invite luck for the coming year. These customs link Qixi to other traditional Chinese festivals, such as the Chinese New Year and the Lantern Festival, making it an important celebration in the broader context of the lunar calendar.
6. Frequently Asked Questions About Qixi Festival
When is the Qixi Festival in 2025?
Qixi falls on August 29, 2025, according to the Chinese lunar calendar and aligns with the Gregorian calendar.
Is Qixi related to the Chinese New Year?
Yes. While Qixi focuses on love and devotion, it shares many rituals with the Chinese New Year, such as giving red envelopes, wearing new clothes, offering blessings, and setting off fireworks.
What foods are popular during Qixi?
Traditional foods include dumplings, glutinous rice cakes, sesame pastries, red bean desserts, and lotus seed snacks, symbolizing fertility and good fortune.
How do Chinese people celebrate today?
Couples exchange red envelopes, attend lantern festivals, watch dragon dances, set off firecrackers, and enjoy special dinners together.
How can au pairs participate?
Join your host family in preparing festive dishes, visit temples, learn calligraphy, and practice Mandarin while celebrating.
What does Qixi symbolize?
The Qixi Festival symbolizes eternal love, loyalty, and the harmonious blending of ancient Chinese traditions with modern festivities.
Conclusion
The Qixi Festival is far more than a romantic event—it’s a bridge between ancient Chinese culture and modern life. From preparing dumplings and exchanging red envelopes to enjoying lantern festivals, dragon dances, and fireworks, Qixi captures the heart of Chinese traditions. For au pairs, students, and travelers, celebrating Qixi offers a unique chance to connect with Chinese people, understand the deeper meaning behind customary rituals, and fully experience the richness of the lunar year celebrations.