中西情人节对比

The Differences b etween Valentine’s Day and the

Double Seventh Festival

1.Introduction

Traditional national holiday of every country is the culture of a nation formed by the long-term accumulation. The origin of a festival has a close relationship with people’s life. Festival brings forth in the big specific historical background and constantly changes with the development of society; it embodies the rich emotional world of the people and shows the deep love of people towards life. Traditional national holiday is an extremely complex social and cultural thing which including personality, psychological, beliefs, concept, way of thinking and moral sentiment of historical formation and accumulation. It also includes the concept of thinking and moral sentiment, aesthetic taste, and cultural connotations of the deep structure values. It is the national spirit of the soil on a specific long-term outcome of pregnancy’s important carrier; it is also the most prominent and the most characteristic display of a form of the national survival. It reflects some history of a nation or a country and the origin of culture to some extent. Furthermore, different ways to celebrate festivals were formed by people in the course of a nation’s developing history. Hence, understanding the history and custom of Valentine’s Day in western and eastern, we can learn more history and culture about different nation. Therefore, it contributes to improving communication and understanding among counties and offers a window for developing international communication

2. A Review of Different Origin

2.1 O rigins of Valentine’s Day

Valentine’s Day is named St. Valentine’s Day. It is one of the oldest traditional festivals in western countries. Although it has about 2000 years’history, it is still full of vitality. It is the traditional day on which lovers express their love for each other; sending Valentine's cards, candy, or donations to charities, often anonymously. It is very common to present flowers on Valentine's Day. The holiday is named after two men, both Christian martyrs named Valentine. The day became associated with romantic love in the High Middle Ages, when the tradition of courtly love flourished. The styles, which people celebrate, are richer and richer and varied .Nowadays, more and more Easterners accept the festival, and it has become a worldwide festival.

About the origin of Valentine’s Day, it has roots in several different legends through the ages. There is a very beautiful fable about Valentine’s Day on Feb.14th. It is not only the best time to express love, but also the most romantic moment to propose. It is originated from Rome.In three AD, there was a dictator named Claudius in Rome, and there was not far away from the palace, a beautiful church where Valentine lived. Romans respected him and thought highly of him from the young to the old, from the poor to the rich, people always gathered around him listening to his prayer and words. The wars in Roman occurred frequently, and then the dictator ordered the citizens go forward to the frontline, but they did not want to leave their families, especially young people, they did not want to depart with their sweethearts. Claudius got angry and did not allow people to hold weddings, and those who had been proposed were told by him to dismiss the proposals. As a result, many young people had to say goodbye to the lovers, and girls became blue for losing their soul mates. Valentine got frustrated by the deed of the dictator. When a young couple came to the church asking him for help, Valentine held a wedding for them in the church without hesitation. Then the news spread from one corner to

another, many young couples came here and got married with the help and prayers of Valentine. The news finally reached the ears of the dictator, he puts him into jail. Valentine was saddened to death in the jail. In honor of the day of his death, people named that day Valentine's Day.

2.2 Origins of Double Seventh Festival

Valen tine’s Day in eastern called Double Seventh Festival on the 7th day of the 7th lunar month, is a traditional festival full of romance. It often goes into August in the Gregorian calendar. This festival is in mid-summer when the weather is warm and the grass and trees reveal their luxurious greens. At night when the sky is dotted with stars and people can see the Milky Way spanning from the north to the south. On each bank of it is a bright star which sees each other from afar. They are the Cowhand and Weaver Maid, and about them there is a beautiful love story passed down from generation to generation.

This is the only one about the origin of Double Seventh Festival. Most Chinese remember being told this romantic tragedy when they were children on Double Seventh Festival, which falls on the seventh day of the seventh lunar month, which is usually in early August. This year it falls on Thursday, August 11. As the story goes, once there was a cowherd, Niu lang, who lived with his elder brother and sister-in-law. But she disliked and abused him, and the boy was forced to leave home with only an old cow for company. The cow, however, was a former god who had violated imperial rules and was sent to earth in bovine form. One day the cow led Niu lang to a lake where fairies took a bath on earth. Among them was Zhi nu, the most beautiful fairy and a skilled seamstress. The two fell in love at first sight and were soon married. They had a son and daughter and their happy life was held up as an example for hundreds of years in China. Yet in the eyes of the Jade Emperor, the Supreme Deity in Taoism, marriage between a mortal and fairy was strictly forbidden. He sent the empress to fetch Zhi nu. Niu lang grew desperate when he discovered Zhi nu had been

taken back to heaven. Driven by Niu lang's misery, the cow told him to turn its hide into a pair of shoes after it died. The magic shoes whisked Niu lang, who carried his two children in baskets strung from a shoulder pole, off on a chase after the empress. The pursuit enraged the empress, who took her hairpin and slashed it across the sky creating the Milky Way which separated husband from wife. But all was not lost as magpies, moved by their love and devotion, formed a bridge across the Milky Way to reunite the family. Even the Jade Emperor was touched, and allowed Niu lang and Zhi nu to meet once a year on the seventh night of the seventh month. This is how The Double Seventh Festival came to be. The festival can be traced back to the Han Dynasty (206 BC-AD 220). Traditionally, people would look up at the sky and find a bright star in the constellation Aquila as well as the star Vega, which are identified as Niu lang and Zhi nu. The two stars shine on opposite sides of the Milky Way.

3. An Overview of Different Customs

3.1 C ustoms of Valentine’s Day

T he Valentine’s Day customs and traditions vary a little from one country to another. But on a broader look, you’re sure to come across this, the customs and traditions of Valentine’s Day commonly include pampering one’s loved ones with loads of gifts and greetings, finding out the right partners for one and spelling out those three magical words ‘I Love You’! There aren’t any ends to what one can do on Valentine’s Day to make his or her dear ones feel more and more loved and cared for. Just remember, whatever you do, dip it in love and you’re sure to come out in flying colors! Because, this is a day for those in love, a day to love, get love and live in love. And it does not mean just lovers and sweethearts; it includes all those close to your heart. So be it your father, mother, siblings, cousins, friends, gramps or just anyone whom you dearly love. All you

have to do is open your heart out to them, wish them a “Happy Valentine’s Day” and tell them how much they mean to you!

One of the commonest customs and traditions of Valentine’s Day is going on dates, looking for the right companion. This practice probably descended from the popular English belief that birds chose their partners on February 14. And today’s Valentine’s Day is a time totally high on love, a time to whisper sweet “I Love You r s” ,or just flirt a special someone with a few love-verses or some sizzling kisses. Quite in keeping with the Valentine’s Day customs and traditions, people buy romantic gifts and cards for their beloveds and sometimes they even get into the act of the day with fragrant flowers, candlelight dinners or a romantic day-out, whichever suits their pockets. Heart-shaped cards, candies and gifts are all the rage in the market this time around. Gifting of cute heart-locks and keys are also quite favorite customs and tradi tions on Valentine’s Day, to say “You hold the keys to my heart”. Then there’s the custom of sending romantic messages to him or her on Valentine’s Day. Thousands of stores sell mushy love-notes for this occasion to draw throngs of lovesick souls to their doorsteps. So if you want to pamper your sweetheart with some really romantic poems and songs start queuing up now and avoid the rush!

One of the many other Valentine’s Day customs and traditions is the pinning of bay leaves in the pillows by unmarried wom en on the Valentine’s Day eve. This comes from a belief that they would be able to catch a glimpse of their future husbands in dreams if they pinned five bay leaves to their pillows and sprinkled rose water on them the night before Valentine’s Day. Then there’s also a popular Valentine’s Day practice of choosing female-partners by drawing their names from a big jar. Men pick a piece of paper each and the woman whose name comes up, she becomes his valentine. In some occasions, men wore their partners’ names on their sleeves and it’s probably from this that the popular Valentine’s Day saying of “wearing the heart on sleeve” came from.