Spring Festival
The Spring Festival, also known as the Lunar New year, is the most important traditional festival in China. It 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 toil, and for celebration as well.

In addition to the practical reasons of having the Spring Festival during the cold months, Chinese lore offers another explanation. According to Chinese legends, a demon called Nian would torment people once a year during the winter. The people gathered to discuss how to deal with Nian. Some people suggested that demon was afraid of the color red, and of flames and loud noise. So they put red couplets on their gates, set off firecrackers and beat gongs and drums to drive Nian away. Their idea worked and Nian fled. Thus, the customs of celebrating the Spring Festival were born and passed down.

During the month of January or February, Chinese families clean their homes, set off firecrackers, post the pictures of the Door God and couplets on their gates. On the eve of the Spring festival, it is a folk custom to stay up late or all night to pray for peace and prosperity in the coming year. The new year is ushered in at midnight. A get-together banquet is usually a must for every Chinese family. The most popular food enjoyed by both rich and poor is Jiaozi, or dumpings, which is supposed to bring good furtune.

On the first day of new year, everybody wears new cloths and greets relatives and friends with bows and gongxi(congratulations) wishing each other the best during the new year.

In recent years, the Spring Festival has become a public holiday. People usually have several free days for attending family dinners, travelling, going to the movies or concerts or just watching television.

The Lantern Festival
The fifteenth day of the first lunar month is also an important traditional festival in China where various types of Lanterns are exhibited. The lantern exhibition is a custom that has persisted throughout history.

In recent years, the increase in living standards has led to various lantern exhibitions all over the country. Such festival are colorful and present picture perfect scenes with the bright moon shining down on hundreds of colorful lanterns.

In addition to lantern exhibition, the Lantern Festival includes plays, firework displays, acrobatics and dances, which are part of the celebration.

Traditionally, every family eats Yuanxiao on the night of the lantern festival. Yuanxiao, a symbol of family unity, affection and happiness, is a glutinous, rice-flour dough stuffed with sweet stuffings such as sugar and bean paste. Often, the Lantern Festival is also called the Yuanxiao Festival.

The Dragon Boat Festival
The Dragon boat Festival, or the Duanwu Festival, falls on the fifth day of the fifth lunar month. This festval is widely accepted as a day to commemorate Qu yuan, China's greatest poet of the warring states period (475-221 BC).

People respected Quyuan for his efforts to make China strong and prosperous and for his dedication to such ideals. However, he became frustrated with the status quo and ultimately committed suicide by drowning himself in the Milou River. On the day of Duanwu, the day of Quyuan death, people rushed from all over, rowing dragon boats on the river in an attempt to find his remains which were thought to have drifted downstream, never to be recovered.

As part of the festival, people throw rice-filled bamboo tubes into the river as an offering. During the Duanwu Festival, it is also a common pratice to eat Zongzi, which is a rice pudding wrapped up with weed leaves. The weed leaves give a special flavor to the food.

Commemoration of Quyuan during the Duanwu Festival shows his popularity as a poet and man who made great contributions to China. In 1957, Quyuan was selected by the world Peace Council as one of the four cultural figures to be memorized by the world.

The Mid-Autumn Festival
The Mid-Autumn Festival falls on the fifteenth day of the eighth lunar month because the eighth lunar month is mid-autumn and the fifteenth is the middle of that month. On that night the moon is supposed to be brighter and fuller than any other night. In China, a full moon is symbolic of family reunion, which is why that day is also known as the "Day of Reunion."

In ancient China, the moon was considered by scholars as a symbol of brightness, purity, and goodness. Poets of the past wrote many beautiful odes to the moon. Not only was the moon an inspiration to writers, it was also a source of many myths and legends. The most popular myth was story about a woman named Chang E who flew to the moon amd lived in the Moon Palace.

During this featival, people eat moon cake, which is made of wheat flour and sweet stuffing such as sugar and lotus seed powder. The festival is a time for families to gather to burn incense and eat fruits in addition to the moon cake. The cake is traditionally cut into pieces that equal the number of people in the family. While tradition abounds during this time, the essence of this festival is the harmony and happiness of family life, which is something that can be understood by all.

Questions?
If you want more information about this area you can email the author or check out our Asia Insiders page.