Origin of Chinese Valentine's Day

Cupid plays no part in this tale. Instead, the myth involves Zhi Nu, a fairy weaver maid, and Niu Lang, a cow herder. They, a devoted couple with two children were torn apart by the goddess of heaven who can’t fathom why a fairy would marry a mere mortal. The goddess whisks Zhi Nu back to heaven and separates the heartbroken lovers forever by a river, later known as the Milky Way. Moved by their tears, the goddess allows the lovers to reunite once a year, on the seventh day of the seventh lunar month of the traditional Chinese lunar calendar.

On this day, the Chinese gaze to the sky to look for Vega and Altair shining in the Milky Way, while a third star forms a symbolic bridge between the two stars. It was said that if it rains on this day that it was caused by a river sweeping away the magpie bridge or that the rain is the tears of the separated couple. Based on the legend of a flock of magpies forming a bridge to reunite the couple, a pair of magpies came to symbolize conjugal happiness and faithfulness.

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