Chinese Learning Direct: Content / article / Chinese traditional holidays

Chinese traditional holidays

Part I

by Adam

not rated -

The Traditional Chinese holidays are an essential part of Chinese culture.

part one: Chinese traditional holidays
The Traditional Chinese holidays are an essential part of Chinese culture.
Many of the customs connected with the traditional festivals have links with religious devotions, superstitions and myths.Almost every festival has its own unique origins and customs which reflect the traditional practices and morality of the whole Chinese nation and its people. The grandest and most popular festivals are the Spring Festival, the Lantern Festival, the Qingming Festival, Duanwu Festival, the Night of Sevens, the Mid-autumn Festival, the Chongyang Festival, and the Laba Festival.

Chinese New Year's Eve
除夕
chúxī
Last day of 12th lunar month( Dec)
Activities include, post year drawings(年画 nián huà）and cutting papers(剪纸 jiǎn zhǐ), putting up new spring festival scrolls(春联 chūn lián), on front doorsfire fireworks(烟火yān huǒ), family union dinner(年夜饭nián yè fàn), make dumplings(饺子 jiǎo zi), Lantern(打灯笼 dǎ dēng lóng).

Spring Festival (Chinese New Year)
新年(xīnnián), 春节, 农历新年,大年初一
1st day of 1st lunar month
Activities: More fireworks after midnight, new year's greetings/visits

Lantern Festival
元宵节
yuánxiāojié
15th day of 1st lunar month
Activities:Lantern parade and lion dance celebrating the first full moon

Ching Ming Festival(samilar to memorial day)
清明节
qīngmíngjié
around April 5(solar longitude 15 degrees, 104 days after winter solstice)
Activities:Visiting, cleaning, and make offerings at ancestral gravesites, spring outing

Duanwu Festival (Dragon Boat Festival, Dragon Festival)
端午节
duānwǔjié
5th day of 5th lunar month
Activities: Dragon boat racing, eat rice wrap Zongzi, commemorating the ancient poet Qu Yuan; drink yellow rice wine, related to the White Snake Lady legend

The Double Seventh /Magpie Festival/ Qi Xi
七夕
qīxī
7th day of 7th lunar month
According to legend, the goddess "Zhi Nü" (the star Vega) fell in love with the farmer boy "Niu Lang" (the star Altair), but was disapproved by the her mother goddess. As punishment, they were separated by the Milky Way and could only meet once a year on this night.

Mid-Autumn Festival (Moon Festival)
中秋节
zhōngqiūjié
15th day of 8th lunar month
Eat mooncake, family union meal, related to the legend of Chang E

Laba Festival/Congee Festival
腊八节
làbājié
8th day of 12th lunar month
It is the day the Buddha attained enlightenment. People usually eat Laba congee, which is usually made of mixed grains and fruits.

Timetable of Chinese Traditional Festivals (2007-2015)
	Spring Festival	Lantern Festival	Qingming Festival	Duanwu	Double Seventh	Mid-autumn Festival	Chongyang Festival	Laba Festival
2007	Feb.18	Mar. 4	Apr. 5	Jun. 19	Aug. 19	Sep. 25	Oct. 19	Jan. 15, 2008
2008	Feb. 7	Feb. 21	Apr. 4	Jun. 8	Aug. 7	Sep. 14	Oct. 7	Jan. 3, 2009
2009	Jan.26	Feb.9	Apr. 4	May 28	Aug. 26	Oct. 3	Oct. 26	Jan. 22, 2010
2010	Feb. 14	Feb.28	Apr. 5	Jun. 16	Aug. 16	Sep. 22	Oct. 16	Jan. 11, 2011
2011	Feb. 3	Feb. 17	Apr. 5	Jun. 6	Aug. 6	Sep. 12	Oct. 5	Jan. 1, 2012
2012	Jan. 23	Feb. 6	Apr. 4	Jun. 23	Aug. 23	Sep. 30	Oct. 23	Jan. 19, 2013
2013	Feb. 10	Feb. 24	Apr. 4	Jun. 12	Aug. 13	Sep. 19	Oct. 13	Jan. 8, 2014
2014	Jan. 31	Feb. 14	Apr. 5	Jun. 2	Aug. 2	Sep. 8	Oct. 2	Jan. 27, 2015
2015	Feb. 19	Mar. 5	Apr. 5	Jun. 20	Aug. 20	Sep. 27	Oct. 21	Jan. 17, 2016

You must be logged in to make comments on this site - please log in, or if you are not registered click here to signup

Google Ads

Welcome

Word of today

Phrase of today

Google Ads

Donate through Paypal