Google doodle on Qixi Festival – romantic tradition from 2,000 years old Chinese culture


Devdiscourse News Desk | Beijing | Updated: 07-08-2019 00:26 IST | Created: 07-08-2019 00:26 IST
Google doodle on Qixi Festival – romantic tradition from 2,000 years old Chinese culture
Qixi Festival aka Qiqiao Festival is a romantic tradition that originated from Chinese culture over 2,000 years ago. Image Credit: Google doodle
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  • China

Google today celebrates the Qixi Festival 2019 with a scintillating doodle. This is one of the most precious time for the travellers or foreigners to be in China to celebrate the Chinese festival which deals with the annual meeting of the cowherd and weaver girl in mythology.

Qixi Festival aka Qiqiao Festival is a romantic tradition that originated from Chinese culture over 2,000 years ago. The tale of The Cowherd and the Weaver Girl has been celebrated in the Qixi Festival since the Han dynasty. The Qixi festival inspired the Tanabata festival in Japan and Chilseok festival in Korea.

Many traditions have evolved around this ancient Qixi festival. In China, children hang flowers on the horns of oxen, while young women try to thread a needle by moonlight or read poetry honoring the weaver goddess. This festival is similar to Valentine’s Day as it is considered as an occasion for flowers, candy and romantic dinners for the loving birds.

The practices were conducted in the period of the Han dynasty in accordance to formal ceremonial state rituals. Over the time, the festival activities also included customs that the common people partook. The people living in China also celebrate this day by gazing 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.

According to the legend, 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.

People not only living in China, but the Chinese people living in other parts of the world also ardently celebrate Qixi Festival. Google also celebrated this festival with a gorgeous doodle in the last year.

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