[1][2][3][4] A celebration of romantic love, the festival is often described as the traditional Chinese equivalent of Valentine's Day.

[5] The festival is derived from Chinese mythology: people celebrate the romantic legend of two lovers, Zhinü and Niulang,[5][2][4] who were the weaver girl and the cowherd, respectively.

[6] The earliest-known reference to this famous myth dates back to more than 2,600 years ago, which was told in a poem from the Classic of Poetry.

One day, the old cow suddenly spoke out, telling Niulang that there would be fairies bathing in the spring nearby that night.

In order to make her stay, he took her clothes that helped her to go back to heaven; this made her an ordinary earth woman without any power.

[2] Traditionally, there would be contests amongst those who attempted to be the best in threading needles under low-light conditions, like the glow of an ember or of a half moon.

The most famous traditional food people eat on Qixi Festival is Qiao Guo, which has a history of more than one thousand years since it became popular during the Song dynasty.

Many pieces of literature, such as poems, songs, and operas, have been written for this festival and about the Cowherd and the Weaver Girl, dating back to the Zhou dynasty Classic of Poetry.

This has left a valuable literary legacy which helps modern scholars better understand ancient Chinese customs, feelings, and opinions relating to the festival.

天階夜色涼如水， Above her hang celestial bodies as frigid as deep water, 坐看牽牛織女星。 She sat there watching Altair of Aquila and Vega of Lyra pining for each other in the sky.

(Translated by Betty Tseng[21]) 纖雲弄巧， Clouds float like works of art, 飛星傳恨， Stars shoot with grief at heart.

金風玉露一相逢， When Autumn’s Golden Wind embraces Dew of Jade, 便勝却人間無數。 All the love scenes on earth, however many, fade.

(Translated by Xu Yuanchong[22]) Interactive Google doodles have been launched since the 2009 Qixi Festival to mark the occasion.