Chinese Festivals and Holidays — Legends and Customs

Spring Festival — Chinese New Year 1st day of the 1st lunar month (somewhere between January 30 and February 20 ) The most important festival for the Chinese people The beginning of spring A festival of reunion

Legend of Spring Festival

Customs of Spring Festival New Year’s Eve Dinner Pay A New Year Call Walking on Stilts Dragon Dance Lion Dance Fireworks & Firecrackers Spring Couplets Red Packets

New Year’s Eve Dinner

Pay A New Year Call

Walking on Stilts

Dragon Dance

Lion Dance

Fireworks and Firecrackers Display

Spring Couplets

Red Packets

Food For Spring Festival

Dumpling

New Year’s Cake

Lantern Festival

Lantern Festival Time The 15th day of the 1st lunar month (when the first full moon enters the New Year) Significance Chinese Halloween Activities Watching Lanterns "Guessing Lantern Riddles" Eating Yuanxiao (Rice Dumplings)

Watching Lanterns Originated in Buddhist rites Watching Sarira, or the remains from the cremation of Buddha's body. Lanterns are ordered to be lighted to worship Buddha.

Lantern Festival Traditionally, it once served as a day for love and matchmaking. Young people were chaperoned in the streets in the hope of finding love. Matchmakers acted busily in hopes of pairing couples. Often, those with brightest lanterns were deemed good luck and hope.

Guessing Lantern Riddles It is an essential part of the festival; Lantern owners write riddles on a piece of paper and post them on the lanterns. If visitors have solutions to the riddles, they can pull the paper out and go to the lantern owners to check the answer and rewarded a little gift.

Yuanxiao (Rice Dumplings)

Qingming — Tomb Sweeping Festival Two weeks after the Vernal Equinox (the 4th, 5th, or 6th of April ) The most important springtime festival A day for mourning the dead Also a day to celebrate the coming of spring and a happy occasion for outdoor activities

Customs of Tomb Sweeping Festival Tomb Sweeping or Ancestor Worshipping Burning Paper Treasures Cold Foods Planting Trees/Arbor Day Kite-Flying Spring Outings

Duan Wu Festival — Dragon Boat Festival The 5th day of the 5th month of the lunar year A day to remember a great patriotic poet named Qu Yuan People have Dragon Boat Races, eat Zong Zi and carry a spice bag around with them

Dragon Boat Race

Zong Zi

Spice Bag

Qi Qiao Jie — Chinese Valentine’s Day The seventh day of the seventh month on the Chinese lunar calendar (August) Also known as “The Begging Festival” or “The Daughter’s Festival” Girls prepare melons and fruit before worship and prayers for a good marriage Couples go to matchmaker temples to pray for everlasting love and marriage

To Love and to Wait — A Romantic Legend

Mid-Autumn Festival The 15th day of the 8th lunar month (believed to be the exact midst of autumn) One of the most important festivals in China A day for family reunion People eat moon cakes and appreciate the round moon

Legend of Mid-Autumn Festival

Customs of Mid-Autumn Festival Family members get together Going out to attend special performances in parks or on public squares Huge lantern show in Guangzhou Watching the flood tide of the Qiantang River in Zhejiang Province

Moon Cake

"Thinking of You" When will the moon be clear and bright? With a cup of wine in my hand, I ask the blue sky. I don't know what season it would be in the heavens on this night. I'd like to ride the wind to fly home. Yet I fear the crystal and jade mansions are much too high and cold for me.

"Thinking of You " (Cont’d) Dancing with my moon-lit shadow It does not seem like the human world The moon rounds the red mansion Stoops to silk-pad doors Shines upon the sleepless Bearing no grudge Why does the moon tend to be full when people are apart?

"Thinking of You " (Cont’d) People may have sorrow or joy, be near or far apart The moon may be dim or bright, wax or wane This has been going on since the beginning of time May we all be blessed with longevity Though far apart, we are still able to share the beauty of the moon together.

Double Ninth Festival Time: The ninth day of the ninth month of the Chinese lunar calendar Activities: Climbing a mountain Carrying a spray of dogwood Drinking chrysanthemum wine

Special Food

ON THE MOUNTAIN HOLIDAY THINKING OF MY BROTHERS IN SHANDONG I am a stranger in a strange country lonely, While the festivals missing my families much more. Seeing my brothers climb up mountains from far, Transplanting cornus everywhere but missing mine. chrysanthemum

Laba Festival The eighth day of the last lunar month (the traditional start of celebrations for the Chinese New Year) People eat Laba rice porridge

Laba Rice Porridge

Other National Holidays New Year’s Day (January 1) May Day Holiday (May 1) Children’s Day (June 1) Founding Anniversary of the Chinese People’s Liberation Army (July 1) Founding Anniversary of the Communist Party of China (August 1) Teacher’s Day (September 10) Founding Anniversary of the People’s Republic of China (October 1)