Planning to visit China in 2019? Get the most out of your experience! Learn here about the most important holidays in China - fast and easy with ChineseClass101!
| January 13, 2019 | The Laba Rice Porridge Festival |
| February 4, 2019 | Beginning of Spring |
| February 5, 2019 | Chinese Lunar New Year |
| February 19, 2019 | Lantern Festival |
| March 8, 2019 | Longtaitou Festival |
| March 8, 2019 | Women’s Day |
| April 5, 2019 | Qing Ming Festival |
| May 1, 2019 | Labour Day |
| May 4, 2019 | Youth Day |
| June 1, 2019 | International Children’s Day |
| June 7, 2019 | Dragon Boat Festival |
| July 1, 2019 | CPC Founding Day and Anniversary of the Return of Hong Kong (Party Day) |
| August 1, 2019 | Army Day |
| August 7, 2019 | Qi Xi Festival |
| August 15, 2019 | Ghost Festival |
| September 10, 2019 | Teachers’ Day |
| September 13, 2019 | Mid-Autumn Festival |
| October 1, 2019 | National Day |
| October 9, 2019 | Double Ninth Festival |
| December 22, 2019 | Winter Solstice |
How well do you know holidays in China?
In this article, you learn all about the top China holidays and the traditions and history behind them. Check the must-know Chinese vocabulary for popular holidays in China too!
That way, you can easily talk about Chinese holidays while improving your vocabulary and overall speaking skills. You will pick up key vocab, phrases, and cultural insights you won’t find in a textbook.
Perfect for any student interested in learning more about Chinese culture. We will teach you the what, why, when and how of China holidays.
The eighth day of the twelfth lunar month is the traditional Laba Festival in China.
The most important custom during the Laba Festival is eating Laba congee or 腊八粥 (làbāzhōu). This dish is either sweet or salty, and is cooked with a mix of eight kinds of fresh grain, vegetables and fruits. The ingredients of Beijing Laba congee are carefully selected. It involves at least twenty different ingredients, including red dates, lotus seeds, walnuts, chestnuts, and almonds, which help make the congee highly nutritious. Cooking Laba congee takes a lot of time and preparation. People start preparing the ingredients for the dish on the eve of the Laba festival, and begin cooking it at midnight, a process that continues well into the next morning.
In China, the Beginning of Spring is celebrated very closely to the Lunar New Year, and there’s a week of festivities during this time. Chinese people get the week off of work, though there’s still work to be done around the house: deep cleaning and preparing everything for the family coming together. Food is a large aspect of celebrations during (and before) the springtime, with many families enjoying a special porridge called laba and making food for the “kitchen god” and for themselves. Another common aspect of this celebration is the hanging of red paper with positive words written on them to ensure a wonderful new year.
This is the most important festival in China. The last night of the lunar year is called 除夕 (chúxī), which means New Year’s Eve, and is usually celebrated within the family. On New Year’s Eve, many Chinese people will turn on their television set to watch a five-hour-long program that’s colloquially called the Spring Night or 春节晚会 (Chūn Jié wǎnhuì). Not only does the Spring Night show have songs, dances, and magic, but it also features crosstalk performances, skits, and other typical Chinese performances. What children look forward to the most is, of course, receiving New Year’s money, called 红包 (hóngbāo). This literally means “red packets,” because their elders will normally put money into red envelopes and give them out as presents.
On every fifteenth of the first month of the lunar year, right after the Spring Festival, people usher in the first full moon of the new year with a traditional Chinese holiday, the Lantern Festival. When we talk about the Lantern Festival, we can’t forget to mention the tradition of eating 元宵 (yuánxiāo). This is a type of dessert made of glutinous rice with or without filling. It can be filled with black sesame, bean paste, sugar, or hawthorn, and they can be made in various ways—boiled, sautéd, deep-fried, or steamed. Besides eating, of course, there is also play or 游戏 (yóuxì). Popular traditional activities during the Lantern Festival include going to the fair, lighting lanterns, and guessing riddles.
During the Lantern Festival, you can also enjoy the lion dances or 舞狮子, (wǔshīzi).
Dragon Head Raising Day marks the changing of a cold winter to a warm spring. It is one of many occasions in which the Chinese celebrate dragons, or 龙 (lóng). Dragon Head Raising Day got its name because as spring approaches on this day, people need to prepare for a new year of farming. On the second day of the second lunar month, people in ancient times would “lead the dragon back,” which meant inviting the dragon back to the warm world and praying for a good harvest.
Though the celebration of Dragon Head Raising Day in modern-day cities is no longer directly tied to agriculture, the tradition of drinking Zhonghe Wine is still upheld in many areas.
The United Nations established March 8 as International Women’s Day. China began observing this day in 1949, providing women a half-day off of work every 8th of March. As you may know, China is made up of many different ethnic groups, which each celebrate Women’s Day in their own way.
Tomb Sweeping Day is called 清明节 (qīngmíng jié) in Chinese. It’s mainly for Chinese people to worship their ancestors, and is commonly known as the day of burning incense or 烧香 (shāoxiāng). The tradition is to sweep the tombs and graves. In April, spring has returned, flowers bloom, and the grass turns green.
Flying kites is a popular activity during the Tomb Sweeping Festival. People fly kites both at night and during the day. The sorrow of missing loved ones who have passed and happiness from the outing is combined in this festival, making it very special.
Labor Day is also called 五一黄金周 (Wǔyī Huángjīnzhōu), meaning 5-1 Golden Week, because it is celebrated on May 1 every year. That’s why Chinese people generally call Labor Day “5-1.”
These days, people are used to taking a long vacation or 长假旅游 (chángjiǎ lǚyóu), during 5-1 Golden Week. But this is a way of life that has only become popular within the last few years. To meet domestic demand, the government announced a plan for a continuous five-day or even a seven-day public holiday to encourage people to go on faraway trips to boost the economy’s development. Every Golden Week sees 300-400 million tourists visiting areas across the country!
Youth Day is a holiday commemorating the May Fourth Movement, which bears great significance in China’s modern history. On May 1, 1919, students from universities in Beijing organized a massive protest or 大规模游行 (dà guī mó yóuxíng) against unequal treaties signed by the government at the Paris Peace Conference. This movement marked the beginning of the New Democratic Revolution in China.
Today, there are various celebratory activities observed on Youth Day. Youth Leagues organize social activities or 社会实践 (shèhuì shíjiàn), such as volunteering in nursing homes or helping traffic coordinators maintain traffic order. High schools also participate by holding a coming of age ceremony called 成人冠礼 (chéngrén guān lǐ) for junior students who are to graduate soon after Youth Day.
Under Chinese law, children ages 14 and under are officially categorized as children, or 儿童 (értóng). Those who fit in this category have the privilege of taking a half-day off from school on Children’s Day. Usually on that day, schools will organize various collective activities or 集体活动 (jítǐ huódòng). Today, the most common way families celebrate Children’s Day in China is by giving children toys, or by taking them out to eat or out on a fun day somewhere like an amusement park.
The Dragon Boat Festival is a traditional festival to commemorate a hero named 屈原 (Qū Yuán). Qu Yuan was a politician and poet who lived two thousand years ago. He was a court official in the state of Chu or 楚国 (chǔguó). He was very loyal, but the King believed the words of the treacherous instead and exiled him. Feeling humiliated, he jumped into a river on May 5 to end his life. People loved Qu Yuan, so they boated on the river to try to save his life. This is now commemorated with a dragon boat race held each year on this day.
Dragon boats or 龙舟 (lóngzhōu) are small boats, each crewed by twenty-five members; one is in command, two are playing the drums, and the rest are making rigorous efforts to be the fastest to reach the finish line.
In Chinese, it’s called 建党节香港回归 (jiàndǎng jié Xiānggǎng huíguī). July 1 is the anniversary of two significant historical moments in China: the founding of the Chinese Communist Party (CPC) or 中国共产党 (Zhōngguó gòngchǎndǎng), and the anniversary of the transfer of sovereignty or 主权 (zhǔquán) of Hong Kong.
On July 1 each year, a celebratory evening party is broadcasted on TV, and documentaries, films, and TV series about the CPC are also shown to inform people about the holiday’s origins and to depict the vision for China’s future.
As the name suggests, Army Day was created to honor the People’s Liberation Army, which was formed in the year of 1927. Every year on August 1, the Chinese celebrate this by listening to speeches from army personnel and watching demonstrations.
In Chinese, it’s called 七夕节 (qīxī jié). The seventh day of the seventh month of the lunar year is the Qixi Festival, or the modern Chinese Valentine’s Day.
There are two kinds of symbolic gifts for the Qixi Festival which lovers sometimes exchange in China. They are a comb and love locket. The comb represents the promise of couples to spend their lives together. The love locket locks two hearts together; it represents a commitment to eternal love.
The fifteenth day of the seventh month in the lunar calendar is the traditional Chinese Ghost Festival. The old saying is that on this day, ghosts return from the underworld and wander the world. Hence, people worship their ancestors to drive evil away and have their families blessed. Usually, people prepare a full table of delicacies or 美味佳肴 (měiwèi jiāyáo) to show that they are living a happy life so their ancestors don’t need to worry about them.
Every September 10 is Teacher’s Day in China. There has been a long tradition of respecting teachers and valuing education in China since ancient times. People advocate respect for teachers and regard them as parental-figures.
It is common for schools to hold ceremonies rewarding excellent teachers with flowers and certificates in appreciation for their hard work. The certificate of Annual Excellent Teacher or 学年度优秀教师 (xuénián dù yōuxiùjiāoshī), issued by upper-level authorities, is regarded as a great honor and recognition for a teacher.
On the day before the Mid-Autumn Festival, every big city experiences citywide traffic jams or 交通堵塞 (jiāotōngdǔsè), because everyone is busy visiting friends to give them mooncakes or 月饼 (yuèbǐng). The traditional ingredients of mooncakes are egg yolk and lotus paste. They are soft and crumbly and taste sweet or salty, depending on the fillings.
The Mid-Autumn Festival falls on the fifteenth day of the eighth month of the lunar calendar, when the moon is the fullest that it’s been the whole year. Moon viewing is an activity with a special emotional significance for Chinese people, especially those with relatives or significant others who live far away. When they look at the same bright moon, they associate their mutual longing for each other with it. There is even a word that refers to the action of admiring the moon, which is 赏月 (shǎng yuè).
October 1, 1949 is the anniversary of the founding of the new China. It has come to be known as National Day. Military parades or 阅兵 (yuèbīng) have been an important part of National Day ceremonies since the founding of new China. On the 5th, 10th, and other notable anniversaries of the founding of the nation, there is a Grand Ceremony or 大典 (dà diǎn) on Beijing’s Chang’an Street.
The army, navy, and air force’s special teams’ representatives participate in the military parade, but students or 学生 (xuéshēng) and civilians also form teams and perform in Tiananmen Square.
The Double Ninth Festival is celebrated on the ninth day of the ninth month of the lunar year and originated in ancient times when people celebrated the autumn harvest for the year. Traditionally, the customs of the Double Ninth Festival include ascending heights, enjoying chrysanthemums, and drinking. During the Double Ninth Festival, people not only ascend heights, but also eat cakes.
In recent years, the Double Ninth Festival has also been called the Elderly Festival since in Chinese, “nine” 九 (jiǔ) is a homonym of “long” 久 (jiǔ), which has the meaning of a long life.
In Chinese, it’s called 冬至 (dōngzhì). China has been an agricultural country since ancient times. Therefore, each day that represents the changing of seasons is particularly important.
People in the north eat dumplings or 饺子 (jiǎozi) during the winter solstice. In some places, there is also a custom of eating lamb during the Winter Solstice Festival.
Since China enters its coldest time after winter solstice, traditional Chinese doctors regard lamb as a food that can help fortify the Yang (the masculine principle) and make the body strong.
You may ask why it is advantageous to know Chinese holidays. There are a number of good reasons!
If you’re keen to learn Chinese on your own, there are a number of ways to do this. Why not choose holidays as a theme? You can start by learning about the Chinese culture, so find a video or TV program about holidays in China. Better still - find a video or program about holidays in Chinese, and watch it a few times! That way your ear will get used to the spoken language. You could also watch Chinese movies without subtitles, as this too will train your ear to what correct Chinese sounds like.
If you’re more advanced in Chinese, you can practice your writing skills by writing a letter to your Chinese friend about the holidays video. Or write a short review of the video, and post it on social media! Imagine how impressed your friends will be!
Practice your Chinese pronunciation, and record yourself talking about your holiday in China. Pronouncing words correctly in any language is very important, or you may find yourself saying things you don’t mean!
If you’re an absolute beginner, it would be best to start with a book, a CD series, free PDF cheat sheets and preferably your Chinese friend who can help you. Or, you can start with ChineseClass101, for free!
Holidays in China can also be the perfect opportunity to practice your Chinese! For the best experience, make sure to master at least Level 1 of your Chinese lessons here on ChineseClass101 before you go on holiday to China. Then don’t be shy! Use it with every native speaker you encounter in every situation. Practicing continuously to speak a language is one of the most important habits if you want to become fluent. Or, if you’re a new subscriber to ChineseClass101 in a hurry to get to China, study Absolute Beginner Chinese for Every Day to help you get by as a traveller - you will be surprised how far a little Chinese can go!
ChineseClass101 is uniquely geared to help you master relevant, everyday vocabulary and phrases, pronounced correctly and in the right context - this will set you on the right track. Our courses are perfectly designed to help you in fun ways!
But do have a holiday first. Ideally you will enjoy a different culture with a visit, and enrich your life in ways you cannot imagine. Don’t wait till 2020 to learn Chinese through ChineseClass101 though - it will open a whole new world for you!
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