An essential part of Chinese Culture, Chinese festivals have traditions which date back thousands of years. Many festivals are originated from ancient farmer rituals for celebrating harvests or prayer offerings. Chinese festivals are based on the traditional Chinese lunar calendar, so their dates vary every year under the Gregorian calendar.
Here are basic facts about major traditional festivals in China:
Spring Festival
The Spring Festival falls on the first day of a year in lunar calendar, between late Jan and early Feb. The Spring Festival is widely known as Chinese New Year, It is the most important traditional festival in China. The festival is also a family reunion time. People working far away come home to celebrate the festival with their families. Firework shows, dragon dancing and lion dancing are the most common Chinese New Year activities.
Lantern Festival
The Lantern Festival falls on the 15th day of the 1st lunar month. The main activities include watching lanterns and fireworks. guessing riddles, dancing and Eating Yuan Xiao(ball-shaped sweet dumplings).
Qingming Festival
The Qingming Festival (or Tomb-Sweeping Festival) usually falls onto 4th, 5th or 6th of April. People will visit their ancestors’ graves and mourn for the dead, burning incense, offering food and paper coins and some flowers.
Dragon Boat Festival
Dragon Boat Festival occurs on the 5th day of the 5th month of the Chinese lunar calendar. Main activities include eating zongzi (the rice dumplings), drinking Realgar wine, and racing dragon boats.
Mid-Autumn Festival
Mid-Autumn Festival is celebrated on the 15th day of the 8th lunar month. In China the festival is the second most important festival after the Spring Festival. People will go home from every corner of the country and the world to meet their family and have dinner with them, admire the full moon and eat mooncakes.
