Chinese festivals
The Chinese celebrate a large number of festivals that are unfamiliar to most people in the West, although some of them have been spread abroad as well (some are largely shared by many countries in South-East Asia).
Learning a language is also about getting to know the culture, and festivals is certainly part of that. In this article, I will introduce and summarise some of the most important festivals celebrated by Chinese people.
I will also provide links to where you can find more information if you want to read on, including related vocabulary. The festivals are presented in chronological order, starting with the Chinese New Year.
Chinese New Year - ???? (nónglì xinnián)
The Chinese New Year, also known as ?? (chunjié) "Spring Festival" is the most important of all the festivals. It can perhaps be compared with the role of Christmas in Western countries, so it's a time for family reunions and visiting relatives. There is a large number of traditions surrounding the Spring Festival, many of them related to language, including special greetings and eating food that is thought to bring good luck and prosperity. Traditionally, the Chinese New Year lasts until the first fool moon (i.e. fifteen days) and ends with the Lantern Festival. As is the case with most festivals, the exact date of the Chinese New Year varies depending on the traditional lunar calendar, but it usually takes place in late January or early February.
Read more!
Lantern Festival - ??? (yuánxiaojié)
The Lantern Festival marks the end of the Spring Festival and it falls on the first full moon of the first lunar month. There are many different stories about how this festival started and the significance of the lanterns, but in modern cities, it's still common with lanterns displays, exhibitions and competitions. Read more!
Dragon Boat Festival - ??? (duànwujié)
Dragon Boat Festival is also based on the lunar calendar, but typically falls in early June (the fifth day of the fifth lunar month). The festival today revolves around dragon boat races (hence the name in English) and eating of ?? (zòngzi), a dish that consists of sticky rice and different kinds of fillings wrapped in large leaves. Read more!
Qixi Festival - ??? (qixijié)
This festival is also called Chinese Valentine's Day and celebrates the annual reunion of two legendary lovers. As is the case with the other festivals, the date varies, but usually occurs in mid August. In modern times, this festival has been transformed and is now a mixture of tradition and more modern influences especially from Valentine's Day in the West. Read more!
Moon Festival - ??? (zhongqiujié)
This is one of the most important festivals of the year. The name in Chinese is Mid-Autumn Festival and it usually occurs in late September. It's also a time of family reunions, usually combined with barbeque outside under the full moon. This festival is also famous for the moon cakes, which are pastry with different kinds of fillings. These are usually beautifully packaged and given as gifts. Read more!
Other festivaland cultural activities
There are of course other festivals and cultural activities, such as the Ghost Month, but in this article, I have summarised the most important ones. The best way of learning more about these is to actually experience them first hand, preferably with a Chinese family! If you are in China, never turn down an invitation to join any of these festivals. Reading about them online is one thing, actually participating in them another!
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