The First Star of the Festival It's a story about love and stars that happens every year, but the way we tell it changes a little bit every time. We usually think of it as the night the moon gives birth to two new friends, but the real magic happens way down below the clouds. There's a special place where the stars meet, and that's where the story begins. The beginning of the festival is old. Long, long ago, there was a boy who loved a girl so much that even the stars felt sad. They could not hide their tears anymore. Instead of hiding, they jumped down to earth. But wait, they didn't just jump anywhere; they chose the sky. Why? Because the sky is the only place where they can see each other clearly. If they stayed in the city or the mountains, their love would be hidden by buildings or trees. But in the sky, they are free. This is where the legend starts. The boy and the girl, often called the Cowherd and the Weaver Girl, were born from the stars themselves. Before that, there was a giant piece of meat called the Jade Plaque. It had a hole in the middle, and that hole was the key to the festival. The Cowherd and the Weaver Girl needed to catch this hole so they could find the next version of the Jade Plaque. They had to work together, but how did they do it without losing their hearts in the process? They had to cross the Milky Way. Most people think crossing the Milky Way is easy. You walk, you run, you hop. But for Cowherd and Weaver Girl, it was a marathon. They had to walk across thousands of miles of water that never stopped flowing. The gods were watching. They put special bridges there, made of stones and flowers, so they could walk over safely. But sometimes, the water was too deep, and the bridges were too far apart. Then, Cowherd or Weaver Girl would turn around and cry. Why do they turn back? Because they feel too scared. But the gods did not give them up. They promised them a way home. The way home was as hard as the way out. They had to return to the Jade Plaque every year before the sun reached its peak. Every year, the festival happens at the exact same time. The sun rises higher and higher, and the bridge gets harder to cross. By the time the sun is at its highest point, the bridge is useless. But Cowherd and Weaver Girl do not give up. They take their love with them. They look at the stars, and they see two bright lights that look exactly like their own faces. One night, the gods said, "If you find the next plaque, you might miss the old one forever." So, they made a deal. They agreed to stay on earth for a very long time. They would work, they would play, they would talk. They would make sure that on October 2nd, the two stars would come back together. That date is always special. No matter how busy we are, no matter how much work we have, we always remember the night they met. Since they stayed on earth, we have seen many versions of this story. Some people say it was written down by an old woman named Shu. Others say it started with a king named Qu Yuan. But the core idea is the same. It is about two people who decided to be together, even when it was hard. They decided to be with each other forever. And that is why the festival is called "Qixi" (Chinese for Seven Sisters), because the constellations seem like two women holding hands in the night sky. We celebrate it on the 7th day of the 7th month. This is a time when the moon is full, and the air is full of quiet. When we look up at the sky, we see two bright points of light that seem to wink at us. They are the only two stars that have decided to stay together. We do not need to understand every single detail of the story to feel the magic. We just need to remember that love is real. It is a story that starts with a single heart and goes on forever. If you ask a teacher, they might say, "Love is the biggest flower." But I think love is actually a river. It starts small and whispers in your ear. Then it gets louder and flows over rocks and over time. But the water never stops. It keeps going until the banks meet in the distance. Just like the Cowherd and the Weaver Girl, we all have our own bridges. We all have days when we feel like we are falling. But we have the promise of the stars to hold us. We have the promise of the next year, the next season, the next month. We just have to keep walking. The festival is not just about the stars. It is about us. It is about the things we hold onto. It is about the two of us who decided to walk together, even when the ground was hard. It is about the love that makes the world feel a little warmer. It is our own special story, written in the night sky, and it will be read by millions of people every year. So next time you look up at the moon, remember the two stars. Remember the boy and the girl. Remember that there is a magic in our hearts that never fades. That is the true meaning of Qixi. It is not just a name given by a god. It is a gift we give to ourselves every night. It is a reminder that we are not alone. We are never alone. The stars are just as close as our hearts.