Festivals and holidays 传统节日和假日

Festivals  

All the traditional festivals are based on the Chinese lunar calendar which has about 20 to 30 days difference from the international calendar. You will be fortunate if you come to China during one of these festivals, as you will get a glimpse of the traditional Chinese culture, values, and customs.  

传统节日所有的中国传统节日都是基于中国阴历来算的。中国阴历与国际日历相差 20 到 30天。如果您有幸在这些传统节日期间到中国来，那么可以体验到中国的传统文化、价值观和风俗。

1. Spring Festival This is the Chinese New Year in the lunar calendar, usually falling in early February. It is the most important festival in China and for Chinese communities in other countries. Like Christmas Day in the West, this festival is a family celebration where the whole family gathers together for festivities. On New Year’s Eve, the whole family sits around tables to have a grand feast and let off fireworks (nowadays fireworks are forbidden in many large cities to prevent fire and injury). The whole celebration will last until the Lantern Festival.

1. 春节 春节是中国的农历新年，通常在阳历二月上旬，是中国民间和世界各国华人社区最隆重的一个传统节日。像西方的圣诞节，春节是一个全家团圆，举家欢庆的节日。在除夕夜，家家户户都会团聚在一起吃团年饭，放烟花爆竹（现在中国很多大城市已经禁止春节放烟花爆竹，以防止火灾和伤害）。春节的整个庆祝活动将持续到元宵节。

2. Lantern Festival On the 15th day of the 1st month of the lunar calendar, normally falling at the end of February. During Latern Festival, people traditionally go outdoors to look at various lanterns in the streets or parks and eat round, sweet, rice-flour dumplings.

2. 元宵节 元宵节是每年的农历正月十五日，通常在阳历的二月下旬。按照中国民间传统，这天人们通常会吃元宵，外出赏花灯。

3. Qingming Festival Normally this falls on April 5, and is a festival to remember the deceased. On this day, people traditionally go to visit the tombs of their ancestors. If you are in Beijing at this time, you will see school children lay wreaths of flowers before the monument in Tian’anmen Square in memory of martyrs who died in the wars.

3. 清明节 清明节通常是在阳历的 4 月 5 日，是祭祖和扫墓的日子。这一天如果你在北京，你会看到学校的孩子们到天安门广场的人民英雄纪念碑前敬献花圈，纪念在战争中牺牲的烈士。

4. Dragon Boat Festival Also known as Duanwu Festival, is a festival to remember the patriotic poet Qu Yuan who drowned himself in the river in 278 B.C. to oppose the rule of the Qin conqueror. Traditionally people rowed dragon boats on the river and dropped rice dumplings into the water to feed the fish, in the hope that the fish would not eat Qu Yuan’s body. 4. 端午节 端午节又叫龙舟节，纪念公元前 278 年为反对秦国入侵而自沉的4.伟大爱国诗人屈原。按照中国民间传统，人们通常会在端午节这天划龙舟，包粽子。相传人们在这天包粽子并把粽子扔入河中喂鱼，希望鱼吃饱以后不再去咬屈原的身体。

5. Qixi Festival Falling on the 7th day of the 7th month of the lunar calendar, the Qixi Festival is also known as Chinese Valentine’s Day or Double Seventh Festival. This is the most romantic Chinese traditional festival and there’s a romantic love legend about a herd boy (Niu Lang) and a fairy weaver girl (Zhi Nv). After facing opposition to their true love, they are eventually allowed by the Jade Emperor to meet once each year on the 7th of the 7th lunar month. Traditionally, it is quite different from the western Valentine’s Day and is a festival mainly for girls. There is not so much emphasis on giving chocolates, flowers, and kisses. Instead, Chinese girls would prepare fruits, melons, and incense to pray for romantic love and a happy marriage.

5. 七夕节 七夕节是中国的情人节，在每年的农历七月初七。这是中国传统节日中最具浪漫色彩的一个节日，源于牛郎和织女的浪漫爱情传说。与西方的情人节不同，在中国七夕节主要是女孩的节日，并不像西方情人节那样强调送花和巧克力，中国古代的女孩子们通常会在这一天摆上时令瓜果，焚香祈祷，乞求浪漫的爱情和美满的姻缘。

6. Mid-Autumn Festival During this festival, families gather together to have a feast and eat moon cakes while watching the full moon in the sky. The moon cake symbolizes family reunion because of its round shape. It is usually made of wheat flour with fillings of various flavors, very tasty if you have a sweet tooth.

6. 中秋节 每年中秋佳节，家家户户都会团聚在一起吃团圆饭，赏月吃月饼。月饼的圆形象征团圆，它是由面粉和各种口味的馅料做成的。对于喜欢甜食的人来说月饼是非常美味可口的。

7. Chongyang Festival   This is a festival for elderly people on the 9th day of the 9th month of the lunar calendar, usually falling in October. According to the yin/yang dichotomy that forms the basis of the ancient Chinese worldview, yin represents the elements of darkness and yang represents life and brightness. The number nine is regarded as yang, hence the name “Chongyang Festival” (“Chong” means “repeat” in Chinese). The ninth month also heralds the approach of winter. It is a time when the living need warm clothing, and filial Chinese sons and daughters extended this to make the festival a time for providing winter clothes for their ancestors. In addition, people customarily climb mountains, appreciate chrysanthemum flowers, and drink chrysanthemum wine.  

7. 重阳节 重阳节是一个尊老敬老的节日，在每年的农历九月九日，阳历的十月。根据中国古代阴阳相生的世界观，阴代表黑暗的元素，阳代表生命和明亮。数字九是阳数，两九相重，因此叫“重阳节”（重在中文是重叠的意思）。阴历第九个月也预示着冬天的到来，是人们需要添加御寒衣物的时候。孝顺的中国儿女据此使重阳节成为一个向祖先提供冬衣的节日。另外，重阳节的传统习俗是登高，赏菊和喝菊花酒。

8. Winter Solstice Festival Winter solstice is one of the 24 solar terms in the Chinese lunar calendar and it’s the shortest day of the whole year. The time will be each December 21st or 22nd. After the Winter Solstice, days in the northern hemisphere will become longer and longer. According to ancient Chinese thought, the yang (positive force) will become stronger and stronger after this day, so it should be celebrated. Northerners may have dumplings and wontons that day while southerners may eat dumplings made from rice and long noodles. Some places even have the tradition of offering sacrifices to heaven and the earth. 

8. 冬至 冬至是中国农历中的 24 节气之一，在每年的 12 月 21 日或 22 日。冬至是北半球全年白昼最短的一天，过了冬至以后，北半球的白昼时间会一天天变长。中国古人认为，冬至过后，阳气或积极的力量会变得越来越强大，因此值得庆祝。中国北方地区有冬至吃饺子、吃馄饨的习俗，南方地区在这一天则有吃冬至米团、冬至长线面的习惯。一些地区在冬至这一天还有祭天祭祖的习俗。

National holidays ▪Jan. 1 ---- New Year’s Day; 1-day holiday ▪The 1st day of the 1st month of the lunar calendar ---- Spring Festival; 7-day holiday▪Usually Apr. 5 ---- Qingming Festival; 1-day holiday ▪May 1 ---- International Workers’ Day; 1-day holiday ▪The 5th day of the 5th month of the lunar calendar ---- Dragon Boat Festival; 1-day holiday ▪The 15th day of the 8th month of the lunar calendar ---- Mid-Autumn Festival; 1-day holiday ▪Oct. 1 ---- National Day; 3-day holiday Other holidays ▪Mar. 8 ---- International Women’s Day; 1/2-day holiday for women only ▪May 4 ---- Chinese Youths’ Day; Young people between 14 and 28 normally have 1-day or 1/2-day off. ▪Jun. 1 ---- International Children’s Day; 1-day holiday for school children under 13. Note The festivals and holidays above are also the peak periods for traveling and shopping. Other times that you will also witness crowds and higher prices are: ØIn October, F1 racing events will be held in Shanghai. ØIn April and October, Canton Fair will be held in Guangzhou.

法定假日 ▪1 月 1 日——元旦，放假 1 天 ▪农历 1 月 1 日——春节，放假 7 天 ▪一般为 4 月 5 日——清明节，放假 1 天▪5 月 1 日——国际劳动节，放假 1 天 ▪农历 5 月 5 日——端午节，放假 1 天 ▪农历 8 月 15 日——中秋节，放假 1 天 ▪10 月 1 日——国庆节，放假 3 天 其他节假日 ▪3 月 8 日——妇女节，女性放假半天 ▪5 月 4 日——青年节 ▪6 月 1 日——儿童节，13 岁以下儿童有 1天假期 注意事项 在以上节假日，旅游或购物的人非常多。其他出行高峰包括： Ø上海在十月会举行一级方程式赛车比赛； Ø广州在四月和十月举办广交会。