Answer to what you should know for Valentine’s Day in China

Correct Answers 1. B 2. D The “七夕 (qīxī)” festival is commonly known as “Chinese Valentine’s Day.” The characters “七夕 (qīxī),” when taken apart, actually mean the “七 (qī) seventh,” “夕 (xī) night.” Indeed, this romantic holiday always falls on the 7th night of the 7th month of the lunar calendar. This year, the “七夕 (qīxī)” Festival will fall on August 9th 2016 in Gregorian calendar. (Do you know the origin of “七夕 (qīxī)?”) Many of the western traditions of Valentine’s Day are also followed in China, such as giving flowers or special gifts to a significant other, or proposing marriage. Here is some more information on what couples do during Valentine’s Day in China:

For these couples, “七夕 (qīxī)” is a great chance for them to “求婚 (qiúhūn) propose marriage.” Many men will work very hard to prepare a big “惊喜 (jīngxǐ) surprise,” or romantic marriage proposal. There are many romantic marriage proposals like: propose in a “热气球 (rè qìqiú) hot air balloon, say “我爱你 (wǒ ài nǐ) I love you” when the hot-air balloon rises into the air. Or propose at the beach, or propose in public through radio…

Qíngrénjié nàtiān, wǒ yào gēn tā qiúhūn. 情人节      那天，我   要   跟  她    求婚。 I will propose marriage to her on Valentine’s Day.

Wǒ xiǎng gěi tā yí gè jīngxǐ. 我     想    给 她 一个  惊喜。 I want to give her a surprise.

Of course, married men have no pressure to propose on this day, as they are already married. However, “加班 (jiābān) working overtime” and busy family schedules can leave little time for romantic surprises. But on Valentine’s Day, they will try to find the time to enjoy the day with their spouse, maybe by having a “烛光晚餐 (zhúguāng wǎncān) romantic dinner”or a “旅行 (lǚxíng) trip” together. (Want to get around China? Take the travel Chinese lessons first!)

A: Qíngrénjié dǎsuàn zěnme guò a? A: 情人节        打算     怎么   过 啊？ A: How do you celebrate Valentine’s Day?

B: Gēn wǒ lǎogōng qù chī zhúguāng wǎncān. B: 跟   我    老公     去   吃   烛光         晚餐。 B: I will have a candlelight dinner with my husband.

3. 单身人士 (Dānshēn rénshì) Singles Singles will usually celebrate it with their friends by going to the “电影院 (diànyǐngyuàn) cinema”or “逛街 (guàngjiē) going shopping.” But, for those who have a crush on someone, it’s a good chance to make your move and “ 表白 (biǎobái) confess to someone.” (Learn to express your feelings in Chinese.)

Qíngrénjié wǒ yídìng yào gēn tā biǎobái. 情人节       我   一定  要   跟   她  表白。 On Valentine’s Day I will confess to her.

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