9 Chinese Valentine’s Day Videos in English and Mandarin!
We’ve been watching Chinese Valentine’s Day YouTube videos to help us learn about the holiday plus kid-friendly Chinese songs about love!
When is Chinese Valentine’s Day?
The Chinese have a few Valentine’s Day festivals:
- Western Valentine’s Day 情人节 / 情人節 (Qíngrén jié): February 14th
- Lantern Festival 元宵节 / 元宵節 (Yuánxiāo jié): 15th day of 1st lunar month
- Qixi Festival 七夕节 / 七夕節 (Qīxì jié): 7th day of 7th lunar month
Although, the dates and historical origins differ, we thought we’d learn a little about each Chinese festival this month!
In modern times, the western Valentine’s Day holiday is commonly celebrated in throughout Asia with flowers and sweet desserts.
However, in China, Singapore, and Malaysia, Lantern Festival 元宵节 / 元宵節 is considered the equivalent of Valentine’s Day.
Meanwhile, the story of Qixi Festival 七夕节 / 七夕節 is passed on from generation to generation.
Brief background of various Valentine’s Days
情人节 / 情人節 (Qíngrén jié / Valentine’s Day)
In the United States and other Western countries, Valentine’s Day falls on February 14th.
Also known as Saint Valentine’s Day, the holiday was originally a Christian feast day honoring a saint named Valentinus.
Modern Valentine’s Day is currently known as a commercialized holiday of romance and friendship.
元宵节 / 元宵節 (Yuánxiāo jié / Lantern Festival)
Lantern Festival falls on the 15th day of Lunar New Year festivities.
In ancient China, unmarried women were often forbidden to leave the home.
However, during Lantern Festival, women were allowed to go out and admire the beautiful lanterns and full moon during which they might meet other people.
Related: Make Easy Chinese Paper Lanterns In 1 Minute! (Printable Template)
七夕节 / 七夕節 (Qīxì jié / Qixi Festival)
Chinese Valentine’s Day, also known as 七夕节 Qixi festival, falls on the 7th day of the 7th month on the Chinese lunar calendar (usually around August).
Qixi Festival originated from the romantic legend of two lovers, 织女 / 織女 (zhīnǚ) and 牛郎 (niú láng), who were the weaver girl and the cowherd, respectively.
The videos in this post give a little more background!
9 Videos about Valentine’s Day in English and Mandarin Chinese!
Here are videos that give an overview of Chinese Valentine’s Day (Qixi Festival), Western Valentine’s Day celebrations, and kid-friendly love songs!
The Legend Behind Chinese Valentine’s Day (Qixi Festival) in English
Off the Great Wall explains that Qixi Festival is celebrated on the 7th day of the 7th month on the Chinese lunar calendar. They tell the legend of the cow herder (niulang 牛郎) and weaver girl (zhinu 織女) in English. This video has no subtitles.
Video about Chinese Lantern Festival in Mandarin
ChineseClass101.com has many videos for different levels of learners. The above video is entirely in Mandarin and explains the background of Chinese Lantern Festival. Subtitles are in simplified Chinese and English with some Hanyu Pinyin.
Video about Chinese Qixi Festival in Mandarin
The above video explains the background of Chinese Qixi Festival in Mandarin. Subtitles are in simplified Chinese and English with some Hanyu Pinyin.
Video about Western Valentine’s Day 情人节 in Mandarin
Little Fox Chinese has a wealth of free Chinese learning videos, including this overview about Valentine’s Day! Subtitles are in simplified Chinese and Hanyu Pinyin.
Video about Making Valentine’s Day Cards in Mandarin Chinese
This is a cute video from Little Fox about a boy’s experience with preparing Valentine’s Day with his grandmother. Subtitles are in simplified Chinese and Hanyu Pinyin.
Video about Valentine’s Day Party in Mandarin Chinese
This video is the prologue of the prior video. The boy’s dog chewed his Valentine’s Day cards, so his mom surprised the classmates with baked treats to school! Subtitles are in simplified Chinese and Hanyu Pinyin.
7. 愛是 Love Is
“愛是 Love Is” 讚美之泉 Stream Of Praise Music Ministries one of our family’s favorite songs because it celebrates and teaches about the true meaning of love.
You can find printable lyrics for this 讚美之泉 Stream Of Praise Music Ministries song here (Twinkle Twinkle album).
Skidamarink 我愛你 in Mandarin Chinese
MandaRhymes has a Chinese rendition of the adorable Skidamarink song that is clear and easy to understand. Lyrics are in traditional Chinese and Hanyu Pinyin. Visit their website to hear the Skidamarink song and see the lyrics.
月亮代表我的心 Moon Represents My Heart (Teresa Teng Song) in English and Mandarin Chinese
Teacher Yangyang Cheng gives a helpful overview the famous Teresa Teng love song, including the lyrics and its meaning. You can find the song lyrics on the YoYo Chinese website!
More Chinese Valentine’s Day Resources for Kids
- Printable Valentine’s Day Heart Wands in English, Chinese, Korean
- Printable Chinese Valentine’s Day Cards and Coloring Sheets
- Learn Names of Chinese Family Members with Printable Heart Matching Game
- Chinese Heart Radical Words with Heart Puzzles & Washi Tape!
- Learn the 心 Radical with Felt Valentines and Tactile Puffy Paint Chinese Characters!
Thank you, Betty! You inspire me with all that you do to teach your kids Chinese. All the information you share on Chalk Academy are so fun and useful. These are very great resources for me as a 2nd generation Chinese mom working full-time and an active lead volunteer for kids’ Chinese After School Program.
Hi Linda! Thank you so much for taking the time to write! I’m so happy to hear that the resources are helpful for your family and after school program! Bless you for volunteering for other families, too! 🙂