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Spring Festival
The Spring Festival, also known as the Lunar New Year, is the
most important traditional festival in China, which takes place
in late January or early February. The historical reason for
beginning the year during cold weather is that it is a time
between the "autumn harvest and winter storage" and "spring
plowing and summer weeding". In other words, this is the
time for rest and relaxation after a year's till and toil, and
for celebration as well.
Chinese celebrate the Spring Festival in many ways. Homemade
Jiaozi is very popular in North China and displays of fireworks
are pervasive. The main theme in the Spring Festival is reunion.
All the activities and the gifts stand for the goodness of people
to show respect, love and season's greetings.
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Lantern Festival
The lantern exhibition on the 15th day of the first lunar month
is a custom, which has persisted throughout history. Traditionally,
every family eats yuanxiao on the night of the Lantern Festival.
Yuanxiao, symbolizing family unity, passion and happiness, is
glutinous, rice-flour dough with or without stuffs. The cooking
of yuanxiao differs from steamed, stewed, scrambled and fried
according to people's preference. There are also five flavors
of yuanxiao. In addition, the Lantern Festival includes local
plays, firework displays, acrobatic shows, folk dances and riddles
written on lanterns. The celebration serves as a climax and
an end to the whole Spring Festival.
Tomb-sweeping Day(5th solar term)
People of almost every nation will choose a certain time every
year to express memory to their ancestors. China sets the 5th
solar term a time to pay respects to the ancestors at their
tombs. Traditionally, Chinese believe that a dead just passed
away but into another world. So ingot-shaped sycees made of
tin papers, joss sticks, wine and dinner will serve as sacrifice.
Taking the occasion, people pray for their forefathers to guard
them and make them live in ease. The Towb-sweeping is still
a ritual today but the excessive process has been simplified,
reflecting the fast rhythm of modern society.
Dragon Boat Festival
The Dragon Boat Festival, traditionally called the Duanwu Festival,
falls on the fifth day of the fifth lunar month. All the activities
conducted today are related to commemorate Qu Yuan, China's
greatest poet in the Warring States Period, 2,300 years ago.
He extended his concerns on nation and dissatisfaction on dark
administration into his dismal but moving poetries. But he ultimately
failed to release his angst by writing poetry only. On the fifth
day of the fifth lunar month, he committed suicide by drowning
himself in the Miluo River. On the day of Qu Yuan's death, people
rushed from all over, rowing dragon boats on the river in an
attempt to find his remains. Meanwhile, people threw Zongzi,
a rice pudding wrapped up with weed leaves into the river to
feed fish in the river, keeping Qu Yuan's remains from being
bitten by fish. Year in and year out, Chinese widely accept
these traditional activities as common practice to eat Zongzi,
and enter for dragon boat contest.
Mid-Autumn Day
The fifteenth day of the eighth lunar month is the Mid-Autumn
Day, which resonates Chinese family reunion again. The full
moon on the day symbolizes the theme of the festival. In history,
many poets and men of letters eulogized the moon as a token
of brightness, purity, and goodness. During the festival, people
eat the moon cake made of wheat flour and all tastes of stuffings.
The cake is traditionally cut into pieces that equal the number
of people in the family. The people traveling away from home
will increase their homesickness on the day. The harmony and
happiness of family life pervade to great extent, which is why
the day is also known as the 'Day of Reunion'.
Double-Nine Festival
In late autumn, when the atmosphere smells the fragrance of
sweet osmanthus, comes the Double-Nine Festival. The day falls
on the ninth day of the ninth lunar month, which is considered
to be a time to express respect for senior citizens. Around
the day, senior citizens join many activities such as climbing
mountains, drinking chrysanthemum wine, eating cakes and so
on.
Winter Solstice (22nd solar term)
The Winter Solstice becomes a day with the longest night and
the shortest daytime in a year. People will often celebrate
the festival by drinking Dongniang Wine after the name of Winter
Solstice, which used to be homemade, at lower liquor percentage.
In North China, people appreciate mutton and Jiaozi on the occasion.
And in South China, the tradition is to eat rice dumplings or
longlife noodles.
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