As far as I understand it, Qi Qiao Jie (???[qiqiaojié]) or Qixi (?? [qixi]) or Double Seven Festival corresponds to the Valentine’s Day in China. Since I am a Frenchman, I am allegedly romantic and therefore should consider this day as a kind of national symbol, not to mention anthem. Nevertheless, I have a real and authentic abhorrence towards it considering this day as an illustration - among others - of how marketing perverts culture by manipulating it, taking advantage of consumers’ inability to know or understand the truth of the matter.
What is the legend of St. Valentine’s Day, who is this mysterious saint and why do we celebrate this day?
According to the church tradition, Valentine was a priest during the third century in Rome. When Emperor Claudius II decided that single men made better soldiers than those with wives and families, he outlawed marriage for young men. Valentine still decided to perform marriages for young lovers in secret. When Valentine’s actions were discovered, Claudius ordered that he be put to death.
A story also says that, while in prison, Valentine fell in love with a young girl. Before his death, he wrote her a letter, which he signed ’From your Valentine,’ an expression that is still in use today.
Another legend (my favorite) refers to erotic festivals in ancient Rome that happened to take place during February. Women would dress up as wolves and wait to be whipped by men wearing loin cloths. The Lupercalia (February 15), was a fertility festival until 495 A.D., when a pope put a stop to it. Today in Italy and Greece, young men still chase young women while brandishing whips - made of plastic.
This is culture.
Since I do not know anything about the Double Seven Festival, I was handed over some documents by a Chinese colleague and made some researches on the Internet. So here it is.
Scholars have shown it originated from the Han Dynasty (206 BC-AD220).
Long, long ago, there was an honest and kind-hearted fellow named Niu Lang (??[niúláng]) alias Cowherd, living by himself herding cattle. One day, a fairy from heaven Zhi Nu (??[zhinu]) alias Weaving Maid fell in love with him, came down secretly to earth and married him. They lived a happy life and gave birth to a boy and a girl. Unfortunately, the God of Heaven discovered the truth and ordered the Queen Mother of the Western Heavens to bring the Weaving Maid back home.
Helped by the celestial cattle, the Cowherd flew to heaven with his son and daughter. As he was about to catch up with his wife, the Queen Mother took off one of her gold hairpins, made a stroke, and right in front of the Cowherd appeared a billowy river (the Milky Way) hence separating him forever from his wife standing on the opposite bank. Their loyalty to love touched magpies which built a bridge for the Cowherd and the Weaving Maid to reunite. The Queen Mother was eventually moved and allowed them to meet every year on the 7th of the 7th lunar month. Hence their meeting date has been called "Qi Xi" (?? [qixi]) or Double Seven Festival.
Nowadays, while gazing up at the Milky Way people would look for one bright star on each bank of it, one star in the constellation of Aquila - identified as Niulang (??[niúláng]) - the other being the star Vega - identified as Zhinu (??[zhinu]).
This is culture.
What do these two legends have in common?
The etymology of the word « legend » means « to gather, to select, to read » in Latin (legere) and « to gather, to say » in Greek (legein).
These two legends are oral and written transmission of cultural values and traditions. Their function is to teach the listener not only a tale of creation, a theme, or a moral value but to offer the listener a philosophy of life. In this respect, they are equal in value and legitimacy. They also both eulogize the yearning of true love when stifled by social codes. In this respect they are equally filled with human feelings.
Since any cultural norms and values offer direction and guidance to members of a society in all aspects of their lives, I consider the culture of each country in all its complexity (norms, language, customs, tastes, attitudes, religion, traditions, education, lifestyle, values…), the ethical as well as moral standards shared by members of each society.
Marketing and censorship
Imperceptibly, advertising has become a kind of social guide, a substitute for traditions. By depicting us in real life situations, it suggests style, behavior and ethics. Advertising provides us with images illustrating the representations marketing has of other cultures. These stereotypes produced from the today’s dominant culture (capitalism) suggest that culture is based on material things around us.
Although cultural universals exist (trade, clothing, courtship...) they are accomplished in various ways, creating cultural diversity. By reducing this cultural diversity to consuming goods these representations avoid specific issues, erasing diversity through materialism, perpetuating narrowness of vision hence influencing our knowledge through advertising. Reality is shaped to serve capitalism, the culture of possessions.
This is marketing.
Personally, on that night, I will just be gazing up at the Milky Way with the person I love, experiencing this as a human being not a marketing target.
I wish you a Happy Double Seven Festival.
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