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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. All traditional holidays are scheduled according to the Chinese calendar (except the Qing Ming and Winter Solstice days, falling on the respective Jie qi in the Agricultural calendar).
| Chinese Lunar Calendar date | Gregorian date | English Name | Chinese Name | Description |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1st day of 1st Month | Friday, 12 February 2021 | 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 | Friday, 26 February 2021 | 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 | Sunday, 14 March 2021 | 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 |
| Third day of third month | Wednesday, 14 April 2021 | 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°, 104 days after winter solstice | Sunday, 4 April 2021 | Qingming Festival (Tomb Sweeping Festival, Tomb Sweeping Day, Clear and Bright Festival) | 清明��� / 清明节
(Qīng Míng Jié) |
Visit, clean, and make offerings at ancestral gravesites, spring outing |
| 105th day after dongzhi | Saturday, 3 April 2021- Monday, 5 April 2021 by the Gregorian calendar, except in leap years | Cold Food Festival | 寒食節 / 寒食节 (Hán Shí Jié) | |
| Eighth day of the fourth month | Wednesday, 19 May 2021 | Buddha's Birthday | 佛誕 / 佛诞
(Fú Dàn) |
Visit Buddhist temple, offer food to the monks |
| Fifth day of the fifth month | Monday, 14 June 2021 | 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 |
| Seventh day of the 7th month | Saturday, 14 August 2021 | 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 seventh month (14th in parts of southern China) | Sunday, 22 August 2021 | 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 | Tuesday, 21 September 2021 | 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 | Thursday, 14 October 2021 | Double Ninth Festival (Chongyang Festival) | 重陽節 / 重阳节
(Zhòng Yáng Jié) |
Autumn outing and mountain climbing, some Chinese also visit the graves of their ancestors to pay their respects. |
| At the Dongzhi solar term, solar longitude of 270°, the day of winter solstice (around 21-22 Dec.) | Tuesday, 21 December 2021 | 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 | Monday, 10 January 2022 | 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 | Monday, 31 January 2022 | 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
- 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