Traditional Chinese holidays facts for kids
The traditional Chinese holidays are an essential part of harvests or prayer offerings. The most important Chinese holiday is the Chinese New Year (Spring Festival), which is also celebrated in overseas ethnic Chinese communities (for example in Malaysia, Thailand or the USA). Traditional holidays are varied from region to region but most are scheduled according to the Chinese calendar (exceptions, like the Qing Ming and Winter Solstice days, fall on the respective Jie qi (solar terms) in the Agricultural calendar).
| Chinese lunar calendar date (every year) |
Gregorian date (for the current year) |
English Name | Chinese Name | Description |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1st day of the 1st month | Sunday, 22 January 2023 | Chinese New Year (Spring Festival) | • 農曆新年 / 农历新年
(Nóng Lì Xīn Nián) (Chūn Jié) (Dà Nián Chū Yī) |
Set off fireworks after midnight; visit family members |
| 15th day of the 1st month | Sunday, 5 February 2023 | Lantern Festival | • 元宵節 / 元宵节(Yuán Xiāo Jié) | Lantern parade and lion dance celebrating the first full moon. Eating tangyuan. This day is also the last day of new year celebration. This is Tourism Day in Taiwan. |
| 2nd day of the 2nd month | Tuesday, 21 February 2023 | Zhonghe Festival
(Blue Dragon Festival) |
• 中和節 / 中和节(Zhōng Hé Jié) • 青龍節 / 青龙节(Qīng Lóng Jié) |
Eat Chinese pancakes (Chūn Bǐng, 春餅) and noodles, clean the house. Also known as Dragon Raising its Head This is Earth God's Birthday in Taiwan. |
| 19th day of the 2nd month | Friday, 10 March 2023 | Guanyin's Birthday | 觀音誕 / 观音诞 (Guān Yīn Dàn) | Pray to Guanyin, make offerings to the bodhisattva, some households will also cleanse themselves by eating vegetarian on this day. |
| 3rd day of the 3rd month | Saturday, 22 April 2023 | Shangsi Festival | 上巳節 / 上巳节 (Shàng Sì Jié) | Traditional Chinese Women's Day, also known as 婦女節 / 妇女节 (Fù Nǚ Jié). |
| At the Qingming solar term, solar longitude of 15°, 15th days after Chunfen | Wednesday, 5 April 2023 | Qingming Festival (Tomb Sweeping Festival, Tomb Sweeping Day, Clear and Bright Festival) | 清明節 / 清明节
(Qīng Míng Jié) |
Visit, clean, and make offerings at ancestral gravesites, spring outing |
| 105th day after Dongzhi | Thursday, 6 April 2023 | Cold Food Festival | 寒食節 / 寒食节 (Hán Shí Jié) | ? |
| Beginning on the 15th day of the 3rd month | Thursday, 4 May 2023 | Third Month Fair | 三月街 (Sānyuè Jiē) | Festival celebrated by the Bai people of Yunnan. |
| 8th day of the 4th month | Friday, 26 May 2023 | Buddha's Birthday | 佛誕 / 佛诞
(Fó Dàn) |
Visit Buddhist temple, offer food to the monks |
| 5th day of the 5th month | Thursday, 22 June 2023 | Duanwu Festival (Dragon Boat Festival) | 端午節 / 端午节
(Duān Wǔ Jié) |
Dragon boat race, eat sticky rice wrapped in lotus leaves Zòng Zi (粽子). This festival commemorates the ancient poet Qu Yuan; drink yellow rice wine, related to the White Snake Lady legend |
| 6th day of the 6th month | Sunday, 23 July 2023 | Double Sixth Festival | 天贶节 / 天貺節
(Tiān Kuàng Jié) |
Belongings are brought into the sun to receive heaven's blessings |
| 7th day of the 7th month | Tuesday, 22 August 2023 | Qixi Festival (The Night of Sevens, Magpie Festival, Chinese Valentine's Day) | 七夕
(Qī Xī) |
According to legend, the goddess "Zhi Nü" (the star Vega) fell in love with the farmer boy "Niu Lang" (the star Altair), but was disapproved by her mother goddess. As punishment, they were separated by the Milky Way and could only meet once a year on this night. |
| 15th night of the 7th month (14th in parts of southern China) | Wednesday, 30 August 2023 | Ghost Festival | 中元節 / 中元节
(Zhōng Yuán Jié) |
Burn fake paper money and make offerings to ancestors and the dead to comfort them in the afterlife and keep them from troubling the living. |
| 15th day of the 8th month | Friday, 29 September 2023 | Mid-Autumn Festival (Moon Festival) | 中秋節 / 中秋节
(Zhōng Qiū Jié) |
Eat mooncake, family union meal, related to the legend of Chang E, the Jade Rabbit and The Cowherd and the Weaver Girl, also called "Chinese Thanksgiving". |
| 9th day of the 9th month | Monday, 23 October 2023 | Double Ninth Festival (Chongyang Festival) | 重陽節 / 重阳节
(Chóng Yáng Jié) |
Autumn outing and mountain climbing, some Chinese also visit the graves of their ancestors to pay their respects. |
| 1st day of the 10th month | Monday, 13 November 2023 | Winter Clothes Day | 寒衣節 / 寒衣节
(Hán Yī Jié) |
? |
| At the Dongzhi solar term, solar longitude of 270°, the day of winter solstice (around 21-23 Dec.) | Friday, 22 December 2023 | Dongzhi Festival (Winter Solstice Festival) | 冬至
(Dōng Zhì) |
Have Tangyuan and Jiuniang and perform ancestor worship, Feast day, family gatherings, also named "Chinese Thanksgiving" |
| 8th day the 12th month | Thursday, 18 January 2024 | Laba Festival | 臘八節 / 腊八节
(Là Bā Jié) |
This is the day the Buddha attained enlightenment. People usually eat Laba congee, which is made of mixed grains and fruits. Beginning of the preparation for Chinese new year. |
| Last day of lunar year | Friday, 9 February 2024 | Chinese New Year’s Eve | • 除夕
(Chú Xī) (Dà Nián Yè) |
? |
Public holidays
Traditional holidays are generally celebrated in Chinese-speaking regions. For the most part however, only Chinese New Year, Qingming Festival, the Dragon Boat Festival and Mid-Autumn Festival are statutory public holidays. This is the case in both mainland China and Taiwan whilst Hong Kong and Macau also observe Buddha's Birthday and Chung Yeung Festival. In Singapore, Chinese New Year is the only traditional Chinese public holiday, likewise with Malaysia.
Each region has its own holidays on top of this condensed traditional Chinese set. Mainland China and Taiwan observe patriotic holidays, Hong Kong and Macau observe Christian holidays, and Malaysia and Singapore celebrate Malay and Indian festivals.
- Public holidays in the People's Republic of China
- Holidays in Hong Kong
- Holidays in Macau
- Public holidays in the Republic of China
- Holidays in Taiwan (including unofficial holidays)
- Holidays in Singapore
- Holidays in Malaysia
- List of festivals in China
See also
- Jingchu Suishiji, an important text on the transition from ancient Chinese festivals to the present traditional ones
- Culture of China
- List of annual events in China
