The Day of the Double Seventh Festival, also known as the Day of Mr. and Mrs. Ngâu, is characterized by persistent drizzles. But why does it rain on this day?
In fact, it does not rain every year on the Double Seventh Festival – the 7th day of the 7th month in the lunar calendar. Drizzles often occur during several days, not just on the Double Seventh.
Drizzle refers to the rain that appears at the beginning of the 7th month in the lunar calendar each year in Vietnam. There is a popular saying, “From the 3rd to the 7th,” meaning it will rain from the 3rd to the 7th, from the 13th to the 17th, and/or from the 23rd to the 27th of the lunar month. These rains are usually light, not continuous, which is why people describe the drizzle as “the rain drizzles.” The poet Nguyễn Du also wrote: “In the seventh month, the rain falls gently.”
Drizzle may not happen on the exact day of the Double Seventh Festival.
Because the drizzle can persist almost throughout the month, Vietnamese people often avoid organizing weddings during the 7th lunar month, and they are particularly cautious about starting construction projects, as this weather can be very unfavorable for building.
Due to the effects of climate change, today’s weather is no longer the same as it was hundreds, or even thousands of years ago. Therefore, it does not rain on the Double Seventh Festival every year. This weather phenomenon may occur earlier or later, and sometimes there is no rain at all; in some years, there can be prolonged rainfall.
Moreover, even in times before climate change, the drizzle did not necessarily occur on the exact day of the Double Seventh Festival. On days when it does not rain on the Double Seventh, people can gaze at the stars of Niulang (Cowherd) and Zhinu (Weaver Girl) in the sky, where couples can vow under the stars that, despite any obstacles they may face, they will strive to be together.
Many believe that couples who gaze at the stars of Niulang and Zhinu on the night of the 7th day of the 7th lunar month will have a fulfilling romance.
