List of observances set by the Chinese calendar
(Redirected from Chinese festivals)
Template:Short description Template:Use mdy dates The traditional Chinese holidays are an essential part of harvests or prayer offerings. The most important Chinese holiday is the Chinese New Year (Spring Festival), which is also celebrated in overseas ethnic Chinese communities (for example in Malaysia, Thailand, or the USA).[1][2] Traditional holidays are varied from region to region but most are scheduled according to the Chinese calendar; exceptions, like the Qingming and winter solstice days, fall on the respective jieqi (solar terms) in the agricultural calendar.
Four Traditional Festivals
China's four recognized festivals are the Spring Festival (Chinese New Year), the Dragon Boat Festival, the Mid-Autumn Festival and the Qingming Festival.
List
| Chinese lunar date | Gregorian date | English name | Chinese name | Remarks | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Month | Day | ||||
| 1 (Script error: No such module "Lang".) | 1st | Template:Calendar date | Chinese New Year (Spring Festival) | • Script error: No such module "Lang". / Script error: No such module "Lang". • Script error: No such module "Lang". / Script error: No such module "Lang". • Script error: No such module "Lang". |
Set off fireworks after midnight; visit family members |
| 1 (Script error: No such module "Lang".) | 7th | Template:Calendar date | Renri | Script error: No such module "Lang". | |
| 1 (Script error: No such module "Lang".) | 15th | Template:Calendar date | Lantern Festival | • Script error: No such module "Lang". / Script error: No such module "Lang". | Lantern parade and lion dance celebrating the first full moon. Eating tangyuan. This day is also the last day of new year celebration. This is Tourism Day in Taiwan |
| 2 (Script error: No such module "Lang".) | 2nd | Template:Calendar date | Zhonghe Festival (Blue Dragon Festival) | • Script error: No such module "Lang". / Script error: No such module "Lang". • Script error: No such module "Lang". / Script error: No such module "Lang". |
Eat Chinese pancakes (Chun bing, Script error: No such module "Lang".) and noodles, clean the house. Also known as Dragon Raising its Head This is Earth God's Birthday in Taiwan |
| 3 (Script error: No such module "Lang".) | 3rd | Template:Calendar date | Shangsi Festival | Script error: No such module "Lang". / Script error: No such module "Lang". | Traditional Chinese Women's Day, also known as Script error: No such module "Lang". / Script error: No such module "Lang". (fùnǚjié) or Double Third Festival. |
| Sam Nyied Sam | Script error: No such module "Lang". | Celebrated by the Zhuang people, an ethnic minority. | |||
| At the Qingming solar term, solar longitude of 15°, 104th day after Dongzhi (winter solstice) | April 4, 2025 | Qingming Festival (Tomb Sweeping Festival, Tomb Sweeping Day, Clear and Bright Festival) | Script error: No such module "Lang". / Script error: No such module "Lang". | Visit, clean, and make offerings at ancestral gravesites, spring outing | |
| 105th day after Dongzhi | April 5, 2025 | Cold Food Festival | |||
| 3 (Script error: No such module "Lang".) | 15th | Template:Calendar date[3] | God of Medicine's Birthday | Script error: No such module "Lang". | Public holiday in Taiwan |
| 3 (Script error: No such module "Lang".) | 23rd | Template:Calendar date[4] | Matsu's Birthday (Tin Hau Festival) | Script error: No such module "Lang". | Public holiday in Taiwan |
| 4 (Script error: No such module "Lang".) | 8th | Template:Calendar date | Buddha's Birthday | Script error: No such module "Lang". / Script error: No such module "Lang". | Visit Buddhist temple, offer food to the monks |
| 4 (Script error: No such module "Lang".) | 8th | Template:Calendar date | Cheung Chau Bun Festival | Script error: No such module "Lang"./Script error: No such module "Lang". | |
| 5 (Script error: No such module "Lang".) | 5th | Template:Calendar date | Duanwu Festival (Dragon Boat Festival) | Script error: No such module "Lang". / Script error: No such module "Lang". | Dragon boat race, eat sticky rice wrapped in lotus leaves Zongzi (粽子). This festival commemorates the ancient poet Qu Yuan; drink yellow rice wine, related to the White Snake Lady legend |
| 5 (Script error: No such module "Lang".) | 13th | Template:Calendar date[5] | Kuan Kung's Birthday and Cheng Huang's Birthday | Script error: No such module "Lang". | Celebrated in Taiwan |
| 6 (Script error: No such module "Lang".) | 6th | Template:Calendar date | Double Sixth Festival | Script error: No such module "Lang". / Script error: No such module "Lang". | |
| 6 (Script error: No such module "Lang".) | 24th or 25th | Template:Calendar date | Torch Festival | Script error: No such module "Lang". | |
| 7 (Script error: No such module "Lang".) | 7th | Template:Calendar date | Qixi Festival (The Night of Sevens, Magpie Festival, Chinese Valentine's Day) | Script error: No such module "Lang". | 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 her mother goddess. As punishment, they were separated by the Milky Way and could only meet once a year on this night. |
| 7 (Script error: No such module "Lang".) | 15th night (14th in parts of southern China) | Template:Calendar date | Ghost Festival | Script error: No such module "Lang". / Script error: No such module "Lang". | Burn fake paper money and make offerings to ancestors and the dead to comfort them in the afterlife and keep them from troubling the living. |
| 8 (Script error: No such module "Lang".) | 15th | Template:Calendar date | Mid-Autumn Festival (Moon Festival) | Script error: No such module "Lang". / Script error: No such module "Lang". | Eat mooncake, family union meal, related to the legend of Chang E, the Jade Rabbit and The Cowherd and the Weaver Girl, also called "Chinese Thanksgiving". |
| 8 (Script error: No such module "Lang".) | 16th | Template:Calendar date[6] | Monkey King Festival | Script error: No such module "Lang". | |
| 8 (Script error: No such module "Lang".) | 26th | Template:Calendar date | Food Extermination Day | Script error: No such module "Lang". | Commemorate when Nurhaci's troops ran out of food, Northeast China specific |
| Eve of the 9th month (九月); goes on for nine days | Template:Calendar date | Nine Emperor Gods Festival | |||
| 9 (Script error: No such module "Lang".) | 9th | Template:Calendar date | Double Ninth Festival (Chongyang Festival) | Script error: No such module "Lang". / Script error: No such module "Lang". | Autumn outing and mountain climbing, some Chinese also visit the graves of their ancestors to pay their respects. |
| 10 (Script error: No such module "Lang".) | 1st[7] | Winter Clothes Festival | Script error: No such module "Lang". | ||
| 10 (Script error: No such module "Lang".) | 15th | Template:Calendar date[8] | Saisiat Festival | 賽夏節 | Pas-taai Festival of the Saisiat tribe in Taiwan |
| At the Dongzhi solar term, solar longitude of 270°, the day of winter solstice | Template:Calendar date | Dongzhi Festival (Winter Solstice Festival) | Script error: No such module "Lang". | Have Tangyuan and Jiuniang and perform ancestor worship, Feast day, family gatherings, also named "Chinese Thanksgiving" | |
| 12 (Script error: No such module "Lang".) | 8th | Template:Calendar date | Laba Festival | Script error: No such module "Lang". / Script error: No such module "Lang". | This is the day the Buddha attained enlightenment. People usually eat Laba congee, which is made of mixed grains and fruits. Beginning of the preparation for Chinese new year. |
| 12 (Script error: No such module "Lang".) | 23rd/24th | Template:Unbulleted list | Little New Year | Script error: No such module "Lang". | Honoring of Kitchen God |
| Last day of lunar year | Template:Calendar date | Chinese New Year's Eve | • Script error: No such module "Lang". • Script error: No such module "Lang". |
||
Public holidays
Traditional holidays are generally celebrated in Chinese-speaking regions. For the most part however, only Chinese New Year, Qingming Festival, the Dragon Boat Festival and Mid-Autumn Festival are statutory public holidays. This is the case in both mainland China and Taiwan whilst Hong Kong and Macau also observe Buddha's Birthday and Chung Yeung Festival. In Singapore, Chinese New Year is the only traditional Chinese public holiday, likewise with Malaysia.
Each region has its own holidays on top of this condensed traditional Chinese set. Mainland China and Taiwan observe patriotic holidays, Hong Kong and Macau observe Christian holidays, and Malaysia and Singapore celebrate Malay and Indian festivals.
- Public holidays in the People's Republic of China
- Public holidays in the Republic of China
- Holidays in Taiwan (including unofficial holidays)
- Holidays in Singapore
- Holidays in Malaysia
- List of festivals in China
See also
- Jingchu Suishiji, an important text on the transition from ancient Chinese festivals to the present traditional ones
- Air pollution in China | Air pollution in Hong Kong | Air pollution in Macau | Air pollution in Taiwan | Air pollution in Singapore
- Culture of China
- List of annual events in China
- Joss paper
References
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External links
- Traditional Chinese festivals on china.org.cn
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