The 2nd of August saw the Chinese community
celebrating Qi Xi, the Western equivalent of which, is Valentines Day, centred
around the romantic tale of love and sacrifice, of a cowherd and his love.
You probably know this already, but here at Lilyblossom
Florists, there’s nothing we love more than a little romance, and an
opportunity to celebrate our home city’s diverse culture and ethnicity. So we
thought we’d delve into the history of the British Chinese a little, and then share
the traditional folk story of love in the mountains of China, that it is custom
to tell, at Qi Xi.
Rumour has it, that the Qi Xi celebrations were first
inspired by a traditional Chinese love story. It is a little complex, and is
re-told here by writer Kyra Hall-Gelly, exclusively for Lilyblossom Florists. To
know the story of Niulang and his weaver princess, is to understand the positive,
poignant nature, and beguiling romance of this festival, so please read, and we
hope you enjoy!
Facts about the British
Chinese Community
Did you know that British Chinese are the third largest
overseas Chinese population in Europe? The British Chinese community is also
thought to be the oldest Chinese community in Western Europe, and most British
Chinese people are the descendants of overseas Chinese communities themselves. Descendants
of mainland Chinese people constitute the smallest number of British Chinese,
with the majority having hailed from former British colonies like Malaysia,
Hong Kong, Canada, Singapore, Australia and New Zealand. And, did you know that
our British Chinese, are the fastest growing ethnic group in the UK?
The Chinese have been part of British culture since the 17th
Century, with the first Chinese immigrant to be recorded in Britain, being a
Jesuit scholar named Shen Fu Tsong (below), who was part of the court of King James II.
 |
| Chinese Jesuit Scholar Shen Fu Tsong |
In 2006, the Office for National Statistics marked the total
British Chinese population at over 400,000 people, with 33% of British Chinese
living here in vibrant London town, and another 13.6% living in the South East.
The Chinese community have contributed much to British
society, including most notably, Nobel Prize winner Charles K Kao KBE, who
pioneered the use of fibre optics in telecommunications, life peer Michael
Chan, and of course the lovely Gok Wan.
What flowers do we
feel embody the spirit of this gorgeous festival?
Well of course, we have a spectacular range of orchids and
lilies, that symbolise beauty, perfection and, in the case of white calla
lilies, purity. These are all fabulously romantic, ultra-feminine flowers, used
to symbolise and celebrate femininity for centuries. Asiatic lilies are a
perfect romantic floral gift for the month of Qi Xi, or simply to bring the energies
of romance and promise, into your environment.
 |
| Tea Cup & Saucer Arrangement from Lily Blossom Florists |
The other quintessentially British, enduring symbol of
romance, steeped in its own rich history, is the rose. We feel that our
collection of rose baskets, and these kooky giant teacup rose arrangements
represent the romance, domestic skill, and bliss that is the essence of Qi Xi. They’re
also perfect, affordable wedding table centrepieces for an August wedding.
And,
you’ll be pleased to know, that we are offering FREE FLOWERS, in our fantastic
Forever Wedding Package. Click here
for details.
 |
| Vibrant Basket from Lily Blossom Florists |
Of course, for a bouquet that truly represents the British
Chinese community, and combines these two lovely cultures, it would need to
contain both the lily, and the rose. The Red Rose and Lily Hand-tied Bouquet from our collection (below) is the
one our florists chose to celebrate Qi Xi.
 |
| Red Rose and Lily Hand-tied Bouquet, from Lily Blossom |
No comments:
Post a Comment