You wouldn’t have thought that the hungry ghost month would have any happy days since, it’s well, supposed to be spooky and the Chinese version of Halloween.
But it has, and it’s today, 25 Aug 2020.
Better known as Qixi, or the Qiqiao Festival, it’s the Chinese version of Valentine’s Day.
The Legend Behind This Day
Most would’ve heard of this story but if you haven’t be warned: this is a tragic story that is sadder than Romeo and Juliet.
A long time ago, a normal cowherd, Niulang (牛郎), was walking along with his ox when he came across seven beautiful fairies bathing in a lake.
His mischievous ox encouraged the owner to steal the clothes of the maidens (because who wouldn’t want to see such beautiful girls nude even longer?) and so, he did.
When the seven fairies found their clothes missing, they tasked the youngest of them all, Zhinu (织女), to look for their clothes while they return to heaven.
While Zhinu searched for the clothes, she came across Niulang.
Knowing that he had seen her naked, she agreed to his request for marriage.
That’s one version of the story.
Another version said both Niulang and Zhinu fell in love at first sight and decided to get married.
While there are differing stories on how they got married, all versions agreed on how the story continues.
They had two kids and lived happily, but it didn’t last.
The Goddess of Heaven (or in some versions, Zhinu’s mother) found out and furiously ordered Zhinu back to heaven to return to her job: weaving colourful clouds to shield mankind from the son.
So she left, leaving behind her beloved husband and her two children.
Heartbroken, Niulang was upset with his wife’s disappearance when the ox spoke up again, this time with a solution for them to reunite.
“Kill me,” the ox said, “and use wear my hide. Then, you can fly up to heaven.”
So Niulang did it and travel up to heaven to search for Zhinu.
Unfortunately, the couple’s chance to reunite was taken away again, by the same Goddess of Heaven, who carved a huge river between the couple, forming the Milky Way.
Zhinu is forever left alone on one side, continuing with her job, while Niulang is on the other side, taking care of the two children and only being able to watch the love of his life from afar.