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CHINA: FESTIVASLS
FESTIVALS: CHINA
2014/2015
FESTIVALS
select a festival or month below for more information
Spring Festival – Jan 31, 2014 / Feb 19, 2015
The Chinese Spring Festival, or Chinese New Year, is an important Chinese Holiday celebrated at the turn of the Chinese Lunar Calendar. Festivities begin on the last day of the last month
of the Chinese Calendar and run to the Lantern Festival on the 15th day of the following month. Historically, the festival was a time to honor deities and ancestors; today it is a period of
family reunion, with red envelopes containing money exchanged from the elder family members to the young. Special open-air markets and village fairs are set up as the New Year
approaches, selling all manner of wares, including fireworks used to drive away evil spirits.
Lantern Festival – Feb 14, 2014 / Mar 5, 2015
Falling on the 15th day of the first lunar month, the Lantern Festival stems from the Western Han Dynasty and is an event of great significance. During the Han Dynasty, Buddhism
flourished throughout China; the Emperor ordered that lit lanterns be placed throughout the Imperial Palace as a show of respect for Buddha. As the festival approaches today, red lanterns
can be found throughout every street, home and storefront – visitors flock to parks, marveling at lanterns of various shapes and sizes that portray Chinese folklore. Traditional Lantern Day
festivities include: musical performances, stilt and lion folk dancing, and the Lantern Riddle game wherein one attempts to guess the answers to various riddles stuck on the lanterns.
Qingming Festival – Apr 5, 2014 / Apr 5, 2015
The Qingming festival falls on the first day of the fifth solar term (usually occurring around April 5th), denoting a time for people to go outside and enjoy the greenery of springtime while
tending to the graves of departed ones. Young and old pray before their ancestors, tidying their tombs in addition to offering food and drink; it is common for willow branches to be placed
in front of tombs as a means of warding off evil spirits, as well. Once the family has paid their respects at the gravesite, some families will have a picnic at the gravesite. Then, they take
advantage of the usually good weather to take a walk in the countryside.
Dragon Boat Festival – June 2, 2014 / June 20, 2015
The Dragon Boat Festival originated during the Zhou Dynasty in honor of the Chinese poet Qu Yuan. Exiled due to his unpopular opinions, Qu Yuan threw himself into a river in a fit of
despair, causing local fishermen to paddle out in their long boats while throwing rice balls (zong zi) into the water, so as to prevent the fish from eating Qu Yuan’s body. Ever since, people
gather every year to commemorate the anniversary of Qu Yuan’s death with festive dragon boat races and the eating of zong zi.
Spring Festival – Jan 31, 2014 / Feb 19, 2015
The Chinese Spring Festival, or Chinese New Year, is an important Chinese Holiday celebrated at the turn of the Chinese Lunar Calendar. Festivities begin on the last day of the last month
of the Chinese Calendar and run to the Lantern Festival on the 15th day of the following month. Historically, the festival was a time to honor deities and ancestors; today it is a period of
family reunion, with red envelopes containing money exchanged from the elder family members to the young. Special open-air markets and village fairs are set up as the New Year
approaches, selling all manner of wares, including fireworks used to drive away evil spirits.
Winter Solstice – Dec 22, 2014 / Dec 22, 2015
Celebrated on the shortest day and longest night of the year, the origins of the Winter Solstice Festival can be traced back to the yin and yang philosophy of balance and harmony in the
cosmos. After this festival, the days grow longer, leading to an increase in positive energy flowing in. For this reason, the festival is a time for optimism, with people in Northern China
celebrating the festival by gathering with their loved ones and eating dumplings, whereas the people of Southern China mark the day by putting on a celebration second only to Chinese
New Year in size and grandeur.
Laba Festival – Jan 8, 2014 / Jan 27, 2015
The Laba Festival, falling on the 8th day of the 12th lunar month was originally an occasion for people to offer sacrifices to their ancestors, praying to Heaven and Earth for good luck and a
good harvest. After Buddhism spread to China during the first century AD, the festival was used as commemoration of Gautama Buddha’s enlightenment at the age of 35. The main
tradition associated with the Laba Festival is the eating of Laba Congee (Laba Rice Porridge, or, Buddha Congee). Virtually every household in China eats Laba Congee on this day, as it has
long been equated with good fortune; friends, family, and neighbors customarily exchange gifts of Laba Congee to express good wishes. In addition, it is quite popular to pickle Laba Garlic
on this day. The garlic is soaked in vinegar for twenty days following the Laba Festival, and is then served with dumplings during the Spring Festival.