2027 Qixi Festival

Qixi, on the 7th day of the 7th lunar month, is China's traditional Valentine's Day, rooted in the legend of the Cowherd (Niulang) and the Weaver Girl (Zhinü), lovers separated by the Milky Way who are allowed to meet once a year when magpies form a bridge across the sky. Historically it was a festival for girls, who displayed their needlework and prayed to the Weaver Girl for skill in sewing and a good marriage. Today couples exchange flowers, chocolates and jewellery, book restaurants and cinemas, and marriage registration offices see a surge in couples choosing the date. It has also become a major online shopping event, with e-commerce platforms running romance-themed sales in the preceding week. Qixi is not a public holiday, and it usually lands in August, so it is a working day with celebrations concentrated in the evening; the same legend underlies Japan's Tanabata and Korea's Chilseok. This countdown ticks to midnight Beijing time on Qixi.