Which festival celebrates the meeting of the Cowherd and the Weaver Girl?

The festival celebrating the meeting of the Cowherd and the Weaver Girl is the Qixi Festival.

Qixi is observed on the seventh day of the seventh month of the Chinese lunisolar calendar, giving it the nickname “Double Seventh Festival.” The lovers are Niulang, the Cowherd, and Zhinü, the Weaver Girl. In the best-known version of their story, they are separated by the Milky Way and may reunite only once a year.

According to the legend, magpies form a bridge across the celestial river so the couple can meet. The story reflects the apparent relationship between the stars Altair and Vega, which are separated by the Milky Way in the night sky. The festival therefore combines romantic love with older traditions of star worship and prayers for skill in weaving and needlework.

Qixi has been celebrated since at least the Han dynasty and is often described as a Chinese counterpart to Valentine’s Day. It is not the Dragon Boat, Mid-Autumn, or Lantern Festival. Related celebrations include Japan’s Tanabata, Korea’s Chilseok, and Vietnam’s Thất Tịch, though each culture has developed its own customs.