Traditional Chinese Festivals

Historical / Cultural Significance

Spring Festival

In the Chinese New Year, known also as "passing the year" in Chinese, the 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 sumptious meal. The principle ritual activity during the festival is known as "New Year's Visiting" wherein relatives and friends go to each other's houses and exchange greetings. Spring Festival carnivals vary from place to place, offering lantern and flower displays and the ever popular Lion and Dragon Dances. Similar to Christmas in the Western countries, Spring Festival is the most celebrated festival in China.

Dragon Boat Festival

It falls on the 5th day of the 5th month in the Chinese lunar calendar. This festival was established in commemoration of Qu Yuan (ca.340-278 BC), a statesman and poet of the Warring States Period (475-221 BC). An official of the state of Chu, Qu Yuan was thwarted in his ambitions to save the country and threw himself into the Miluo River when the state of Qin conquered Chu. Zongzi, glutinous rice dumplings wrapped in bamboo leaves, are served on the festival and Dragon Boat races are still held in Hong Kong. Since this is a midsummer celebration, most people during the festival usually make visits to a river or beach.

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 a Tang dynasty (618-907BC) custom of hanging out lanterns on the night of the festival. 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"), wich is another name for the festival.

Mid Autumn Festival

This festival is also a "harvesting festival" that is in the month of September. It is the occassion during which families reuinite 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 Thanksgiving and is also celebrated by a special feast.

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