CHINESE VALENTINES DAY

I just got a thoughtful text from a lady friend reminding me that today is Chinese Valentines day or so its equivalent. I remember the folklore behind this day. My mother used to tell me about it and I came to read about it sometime later. The story is quite sad actually but nevertheless quite romantic. According to legend, there was a beautiful weaver goddess who resided in the heavenly court. She weaves the clothes for the gods and chief among them is the Jade Emperor of Heaven. One day, during her free time, the goddess descended down to earth to play, perhaps she is having a vacation, after all heaven could be monotonous and boring at times. According to one version, she was wandering around the field and saw a beautiful lake. She was so attracted to it that she took a nice cool bath in it. Oblivious to her, was that nearby; there was a shepherd tending to his flock of cows. One of the younglings strayed and went to the nearby lake and the shepherd followed only to discover the most beautiful woman he had ever seen. He was stunned and dumbfounded as the goddess was engrossed in her bath. Eventually the goddess turned around to find the awkward situation and instantly turned beet red due to her nakedness. The man felt ashamed for his act even though it happened by accident and he did the only thing that would redeem a woman’s chastity, he proposes. The goddess consented and they swore to heaven about their eternal love and copulate. They could have lived a happy life and things could have a fairy tale ending if both of them are mere mortals. Alas, fate always manages to dampen a fairy tale. The absence of the weaver has caused a shortage of clothes in the heavenly kingdom and the Emperor has ordered the search and arrest of the weaver for dereliction of her duty. However, the Emperor’s anger grew into rage upon learning of the affair, for it is an abomination for a mortal to wed such a perfect soul. As such, the Emperor ordered his generals to forcibly separate the wife from her husband and brought her back to her cottage to serve her punishment. Her freedom would be deprived and she would be made to weave forever. The army of heaven bore down on the poor couple and she was torn away from the arms of her love. He wailed, he cried, he called out her name but to no avail. For what is one man against the will of heaven? But his cries were not made in vain, for one of the immortals came to his aid, apparently moved by his love. He was given a pill so that he too could ascend and chase after the heavenly host and reclaim his wife even though he stood no chance of success. And he did. He pursued the army of heaven and his wife, crying out her name along the way. The soldiers could have attacked him and killed him but his love was so great that it shook every immortal in heaven and the Emperor has no recourse but to desist from the attack but the Emperor refuses to give up the weaver for it is a matter of high importance. As such, the Emperor threw his arm and caused a great river of stars to divide the two lovers, one on each side of that starry river crying out for the other. Alas, a barrier insurmountable has been formed and there is nothing both could do. The weaver came back to her cottage but she refused to weave. She couldn’t, for she was thinking about her husband and she washes her face in tears day in day out, if time ever hold such meaning to immortals like her. The Emperor seeing such predicament relented but didn’t give her up entirely. He decreed that at midnight on the 7th day of the 7th month of the lunar year, both lovers would have their one brief chance to see each other. After which they would be once again be physically separated by the stars though connected by the bond of their love they had for each other. She would then work for the Emperor and if she fulfills her job, the Emperor would continue to honor the arrangement. The two lovers agree to this arrangement, for what choice do they have? And on the appointed day, the two lovers came to the shores of that great divide and suddenly a flock of swan flew past them forming a great bridge. The moment has come and they both embraced each other. So many things to say, so many sweet nothings to whisper but so short a time. The only thing they could do is to hold each other, profess their love, and renew their vows. Then the ground shake and their feet gave way and the birds flew away. They are separated again. Each on both sides of the river looking at each other, trying to remember what each looked like for they would never see each other again till next autumn. Slowly, they reluctantly left and each went back to their ways, the shepherd to his herd and the goddess to her chores. It is raining hard here. Too bad, for I would have search the sky for that two bright stars separated by that great river as pointed out by my mother when I was young. Their souls has since then transformed into the two bright luminescence. I always wanted to see the floating white bridge between the stars but then again it’s just a fairy tale and only fools believed in fairy tales. Perhaps, I’m a fool.