Holidays and Festivals

Holidays and Festivals

Festivals in China are hard to pin down as the traditional ones are organized by the Chinese lunar calendar. This means they are often on different dates every year. For major holidays such as May Day and National Day, the government announces the official holiday period close to the event, which can be frustrating for those wishing to make travel plans. If you want to avoid traveling during major holiday times, remember to book well ahead and expect to pay a higher rate.

Chinese New Year : This is the biggest holiday of the year and usually occurs in January or February. Families get together to eat dumplings and children are given new clothes and red envelopes with money inside. Fireworks displays are put on by the city and you'll find traditional dance performances at the large temples. Things can get a little quiet commercially, however, as some businesses close during the week-long holiday.

Lantern Festival : This often falls soon after Chinese New Year. Lanterns in all shapes and sizes including rabbits and lotus flowers are lit. Special treats to eat include sweet dumplings called yuanxiao and tangyuan.

Qing Ming Festival : The tomb-sweeping festival takes place on the 4th or 5th of April each year. On this day, Chinese people are supposed to visit their ancestors' graves and do a bit of maintenance. There are no special organized events.

May Day : This is the Chinese form of Labor Day and takes place in the first week of May. Expect fireworks and massive crowds everywhere. Some businesses may also close as the owners take their own holiday.

Children's Day : It seems like every day is Children's Day for some of China's little emperors. However, they also get their own special day on June 1 with parties and special deals at various child-friendly establishments.

Dragon Boat Festival : Around 2000 years ago, a poet named Qu Yuan threw himself into the river in protest against the Emperor. To commemorate him, people now race dragon boats and eat zongzi (sticky rice dumplings). The date of this festival varies every year but is often in May or June.

Seven Sisters Festival : The Chinese equivalent of Valentine's Day usually occurs in July or August. It is celebrated with romantic gifts and dinners but is not as commercialized as February 14th.

Mid-Autumn Festival : Based on a legend of a woman in the moon called Chang'e, families reunite to eat mooncakes and gaze upon the full moon during this festival. It usually takes place in September or October.

National Day : On October 1, 1949, Mao Zedong stood on Tiananmen Square and proclaimed that the people of China had stood up. This was the birth of the People's Republic of China. It's commemorated each year with a week-long holiday. In Beijing, there are military parades in Tiananmen Square, but in Shanghai the action is limited to large crowds, a plethora of Chinese flags, and fireworks.