Chinese  Festivals

The Chinese have a long history of civilization. It is interesting to note that the origin of Chinese traditional festivals is related to the customs and everyday habits of the Chinese and their rich heritage. Chinese holidays are celebrated according to the Lunar Calendar and these holidays are the great cultural significance to them

Most of the Chinese holidays have ties to the Chinese folk religion and ancestor worship. Most of the Chinese who participate in the ceremonies which are associated with the worship of the ancestors believe in the folk religion but treat these festivals as an occasion for the families to get together and enjoy celebrating these festivals.

Chinese New Year “Spring Festival”

The Chinese New Year, also known as "Passing The Year" and “Spring Festival”, is the most important and popular of all Chinese festivals. In post-1949 China, the Spring Festival has become a national holiday, which is celebrated throughout the entire country for at least a week. It is important as a family holiday, and on New Year's Eve (the last day of the 12th moon in the Chinese Lunar Calendar), the entire family gathers for a sumptuous meal. The principle ritual activity during the festival is known as "New Year's Visiting" when the relatives and friends go to each other's houses and exchange greetings and presents. Spring Festival carnivals vary from place to place, offering lantern and flower displays and the ever-popular Lion and Dragon Dances, fire works display etc. Spring Festival is similar to Christmas in the Western countries and is the most celebrated festival in China.

 

Mid Autumn Festival “Moon Festival”

This festival is also a "harvesting festival" that is in the month of September. It is the occasion during which families reunite and the traditional celebration involves the whole family sitting together in a circle outside the house where everything is bathed in the silvery moonlight, in front of them there are boxes of moon-cakes and melon seeds; chatting and laughing is the keynote of the night. The Mid Autumn, or the Moon Festival, is the Chinese equivalent of Thanks Giving and is also celebrated by a special feast.

Dragon Boat Festival

The legend behind the colourful Dragon Boat festival concerns a famous Chinese poet named Chu Yuan, who lived during the Warning States in the period (403-221 BC). He was a loyal court official but was discredited by rivals and lost the trust of his king. Unable to regain the king’s favour the despondent poet drowned himself on the 5th day of the fifth lunar month in the year 277 BC. The common people who lived in the area respected the exiled official to such an extent that they jumped in to their boats and rushed out to save Chu Yuan. The annual boat festival commemorates this unsuccessful rescue attempt.

Lantern Festival

It falls on the 15th day of the first month in the Chinese lunar calendar. The name of this festival is derived from the Tang Dynasty (618-907BC), and the custom is to hang lanterns on the night of the festival. The people of ancient China believed that the celestial spirits could be seen flying in the light of the first full moon of the new lunar year. Over the passage of time, their torch lit search for these spirits evolved in to the lantern festival, now celebrated in the temples and parks with colourful lantern. The Lantern Festival is also celebrated with round dumplings made of glutinous rice flour and filled with a variety of sweet fillings known as Yuan Xiao (literally "the night of the first full moon").

The Birthday Of Confucius

The birthday of Confucius is celebrated with a dawn ceremony at Confucius Temples. The fascinating ceremony includes a ritual dance, costumes, music and other rituals. Some of the parts of this ceremony dates back to 1000 BC.

Qingming Festival

According to the tradition, the name Qingming started in the Han Dynasty because the weather during the third month was clear and pure. It was only during the Tang Dynasty that it became a festival. The custom of sweeping tombs then became prevalent. Qingming, means “clear and bright” and is the day of moaning for the dead. It falls in early April every year and corresponds with the onset of warmer weather, the start of spring ploughing, family outings and flying of kites. It is said that the kite was invented by the famous legendary carpenter Lu Ban over 2000 years ago. The festival includes the offerings to the dead, burning of ceremonial paper money to honour ancestors and to pray for a year of good luck.

Other Chinese Festivals and their approximate dates:
Birthday of Che Kung (February)
Birthday of Tin Hau (May)
Cheung Chau Bun Festival (April/May)
Birthday of Lord Buddha (May)
Birthday of Kwan Tai (May)
Maidens (Seven Sisters) Festival (August)
Hungry Ghosts Festival (August/September)
Monkey God Festival (September)
Birthday of Confucius (September)
China National Day (1st October)