A Qixi Attraction Chinese Festival of Lovers
by Anuppa Caleekal © ,www.digitalism.ca 2007©
Digitalism Magazine in dedication to jewellery for eternal love through its Ruby RedFlash campaign in a previous article, highlighted love separated by distance. There are so many newly weds across the globe separated by distance due to various circumstantial reasons. Some are in a long distance relationship due to career choices, some are restricted by political regimes, some are trapped in social stigmas and forbidden love, some are separated in seeking treatment from sickness or rehabilitation while some are fighting for freedom in wars to hopefully one day be back with their loved ones. Whatever the reason separating two lovers, the journey is lonely and the story never told. Fortunately in modern times, the internet has narrowed the gap and facilitated communication and the extension of emoticons as expressions of love through internet blogs, chats, online shopping accommodating the lifestyle of lovers separated by space.
Qixi an ancient Chinese Festival of Lovers is a romantic tragedy, celebrated since The Han Dynasty (206 BC – AD 220)
Even though many young Chinese have adopted the Western Valentines Day of February 14, Qixi is indigenous to Chinese culture. Traditionally Qixi is known as The Seventh Night Festival of Lovers, falling on the seventh day of the seventh lunar month, which this year happens to be around August 19th, 2007.
On Qixi the love story of the Weaving Maid Zhinu and Niulang the Cowherd is revived. The story tells the tale about Niulang having lost both his parents when he was very little had to live with his brother and sister-in-law. Niulang was very unhappy as he was mistreated by his sister-in-law so decided to leave the home when he came of age.
He left without any belongings except for an ox that became the key to unfold his destiny. The ox showed Niulang the river where the godesses came to earth to bathe.There he meets Zhinu a goddess ,the most beautiful and talented seamstress and grandaughter of the Jade Emperor from the Heavenly Palace.
They fall in love. The Ox was no ordinary Ox, for he could speak and was once the star Taurus punished to remain on earth for disobeying the rules of the Heavenly Palace.
Niulang and Zhinu got married and the Ox grew old with them . As he was nearing death, the Ox told Niulang not to throw his hide away because it was magical and could help him fly up to heaven.
After the Ox died , Niulang and Zhinu lived many happily married years together,and were blessed with twins, a boy and a girl.
One day their peaceful life was turned upside down when the Emperor Jade came to know that his granddaughter Zhinu married a mortal. She was abducted back to the Heavenly Palace leaving Niulang alone with the twins in sadness and grief.
Niulang put his twins in a basket used the magical Ox hide and flew into heaven seeking Zhinu. When the Empress of the palace saw Niulang and his twins approach Zhinu, The Empress in fury slashed the sky with her hairpin making Tian he, the Heavenly River to separate the two lovers.
Zhinu could only see her husband Niulang and her twins from a distance far across the river and they all cried bitterly. The Emperor felt sorry for their fate and turned them into stars so they could meet once a year.
photo source www.china.org
So on Qixi, on the forthcoming summer night August 19, 2007, when one looks up to the sky, Niulang is immortalized as the star Altair 
photo source www.jpl.nasa.gov
Zhinu is the star Vega. 
photo source www.jpl.nasa.gov
The Milky Way is the Heavenly River separating the two lovers. The stars on either side of Altair are said to be the twins while to the southeast is the Ox , constellation Taurus. It is said every year in the seventh day of the seventh lunar month Altair and Vega are at their closest yet far from being together like they were on earth.
Although a sad love story, the reality being love can have its chord of pain and eternal love withstands time and space apart. Inspired by the beautiful Zhinu’s talent to weave, and their love represented in the stars separated by the Milky Way on a summers night, Digitalism Magazine selects intricately woven, embroidery-like Ruby jewellery to illustrate this eternal love.
Stay tuned for Digitalism’s next article on this spectacular celestial display of rubies.