Chinese traditional festivals and celebrations

The traditional Chinese celebrations and celebrations are based on the Chinese calendar. It's a Luni-Solar Calendar : The first day of each month coincides with the new moon, but a year is based, as for our calendar, on the sun. This is why Chinese celebrations and celebrations are not always the same day according to our calendar. Here is a non -exhaustive list of the most important Chinese festivals and celebrations, depending on the region, other parties are celebrated.

Chinese New Year

The Chinese New Year (农历新年) arrives on the first day of the Chinese calendar, but is celebrated for a fortnight. This is why its date is not fixed on our calendar, but is always between the January 21 and February 19. It is the most important celebration of Chinese culture.

The preparations begin from the week preceding the New Year: it is customary to pray, in particular Zao Jun, the god of the kitchen, one of the main domestic gods in China, or even clean his house to sweep the bad spell. Then comes the celebration of the Chinese New Year, also called party spring, whose customs and celebrations vary according to the region. In general, the Chinese wish to get rid of the bad influences of last year and take a new start.

The transition to the new year is traditionally celebrated by a generous meal comparable to our Christmas meal. In northern China, Chinese ravioli is generally served that we eat around midnight, to go lucky. Indeed, their shape is reminiscent of the Chinese Sycee, a silver ingot used until the 20th century in Chinese trade. In parallel, in the south of China, we prepare a nian gao, or New Year's cake, made from sticky rice, because the characters of this cake, 年糕, can also be translated by "prosperous year ». Since all efforts are made to bring the right fate for the coming year, it is forbidden to clean up on this day, to avoid sweeping good fortune.

At midnight, the Chinese celebrate the new year by turning on fireworks, and making as much noise as possible, so as to move away Evil spirits, then continue the celebrations until late.

The first day of the new year, in addition to being the one where we welcome The gods and good fortune, is the one dedicated to the elderly. Thus, it is customary to visit his parents, grandparents, where others close to the third age.

The second day, it is customary for married women to visit her parents and other relatives, since traditionally, they spent more time with the family of their husbands.

The third day is that of the god of ardent anger, and having guests can bring unlucky, we will prefer a visit to the temple.

Only the fourth day, companies and shops are coming back to normal, and the new year will be celebrated with his colleagues.

Meals and celebrations are linked until finally arriving on the 15th day, the day of the lanterns. It is customary to eat tāngyuán, dumplings of rice flour soaked in boiling sweet water or meat broth. The Chinese then lights candles outside their houses, so as to guide capricious minds. Most importantly, it is on this last day of celebrations that families go out on the streets and light lanterns In papers before letting them fly away in the sky, to leave their past metaphorically for a renewal. These lanterns are almost systematically red, to celebrate good fortune.

The Qing Ming party

The Qing Ming party is close to the European Toussaint, and happens about early April according to our calendar. In China, the temperatures then start to climb and the rains become more frequent, then marking the start of the seasons of plowing and sowing. It’s an intimately linked to agriculture, but not only. Indeed, on this day, it is customary for the Chinese to go to the burials of their ancestors to clean their tombs, but also to pray their ancestors, and make them ritual offerings, in particular traditional dishes and sticks incense.

This celebration includes both spring celebrations and a death party, which makes it a celebration mixing joy and sadness. It is then customary to go out and enjoy nature, when the weather has arrived. On this day, Chinese families like to go out and steal kite by hanging small lanterns. After having thrilled them, the Chinese cut the strings holding the kite, releasing them as well as the lanterns. Beliefs want it to bring good fortune and move away the disease.

Dragons Boats Day

The Dragons Boats Day occurs on the fifth day of the fifth month of the lunar calendar, generally in June, according to our calendar. According to legend, this celebration over 2000 years old is responsible for paying tribute to Qua Yuan (340-278 BC). That Yuan was a famous Chinese poet known for his patriotism, who would have drowned voluntarily after being expelled from the state. His contribution to the ancient Chinese verses is enormous and owes him his popularity.

On this day, it is customary to participate or attend dragons boats, whose front and rear have the shape of a traditional Chinese dragon. The legend says that these races symbolize people who rushed on their boats to save that Yuan from drowning. On this day, it is also common to eat zongzi, stuffed rice papillotes. Find out what a Dragons boats racing !

Qixi party

The Qixi party is to China what the Valentine's Day is in the West, and usually falls in August according to our calendar. The festival is based on the very old legend of Niu Lang and Zhi Nu. Niu Lang was a young farmer, who, while walking his cows, saw fairies swimming. Encouraged by one of his stubborn oxen, he began to steal their clothes. The youngest and most beautiful of the fairies, Zhi Nu, came to meet him to recover the business. They thus fell madly in love and married. But the goddess of the heavens discovered this relationship between a mortal and a fairy, and then created the silver river, condemning Zhi naked to weave on his side of the shore by observing her beloved. According to mythology, the silver river symbolizes the Milky Voice, and Niu Lang and Zhi Naked represent the stars Altaïr and Vega respectively.

During this party, customs vary according to the regions, but it is common for women to pray zhi naked, in particular to have its mythical know-how in terms of weaving, but also for a fortune in love. Offer a typically Chinese gift to your Valentine for the Qixi party a superb Chinese jewelry boxes, from Dublein. Indeed did you know that the jewelry box was invented in China?

MI-AUTOMN or Moon Festival

The Moon Festival generally takes place in August. This is the second largest festival after the Chinese New Year. Tradition comes from the fact that the ancient Chinese civilizations had observed the relationship between lunar movements and seasonal changes. To thank the Moon, they then offered him sacrifices. The celebration also aims to commemorate Chang’e, which, according to Chinese mythology, drank an elixir to protect her beloved husband, which made her fly away for the moon, where she resides indefinitely in a Jade palace.

On this day of the Mi-Automne Festival, Chinese families offer offerings to the Moon, observe the full moon, eat moon cakes, and express their feelings to their loved ones who live far, in homage to Chang'e separated from her husband. Other celebrations are common in certain regions, such as dances of traditional dragons or flights of lanterns.

Ghost festival

The ghost festival takes place the fifteenth night of the seventh month of the lunar calendar, known as ghosts, is generally in August or September for our calendar. During this night, belief wants the Doors of hell open and allow ghosts, especially its ancestors, to return to earth. On this day, the Chinese are used to burn incense and papers Money representing money, and offering food for wandering minds. The idea and to appease these spirits.

If the month of ghosts reaches its peak on the fifteenth day, it is because the Chinese think that the ghosts who wandered for two weeks on earth are hungry, which is why they are offered food, often vegetarian dishes . The Chinese also seek to take care of lonely minds, those who have no more family. Customs vary according to families and regions. For example, some families like to celebrate this day by going to the opera, it is then common to leave the first empty rank for the spirits. Other families, after leaving offerings, clean the body with lotus leaves, a sign of purity, to prevent the spirits from following them at home. Some regions also commemorate ghosts this month by depositing miniature boats on the rivers, to which they hang lanterns, in order to guide the wandering ghosts and minds.

NEW Double Fête

The Fête du double new, or Chongyang party, is so called because it occurs on the ninth day of the ninth month lunar, usually in October. In China, the new number is intimately associated with Yang, male symbol, as opposed to Yin, female symbol. This double new then brings too much Yang and is potentially dangerous. To protect yourself from danger, it is customary to climb or hike in the mountains, to protect yourself from diseases.

Indeed, during the Dang dynasty, many poets were ventilating the mountain air merits, and today, families like to share a moment of hiking or climbing. Many also like to admire the chrysanthemums that flourish during this period, or drink in liquor. Indeed, belief is that chrysanthemums can hunt evil spirits, keep the disease and bad fate away.

The second meaning of the party is due to the fact that the figure 9, "jiu" in Chinese, also wants to say "long", relating to longevity. It is then customs to commemorate the elderly, by visiting them, bringing them to the mountains, or spending moments with the family.

Winter Solstice Day

The Winter Solstice Day, also called Dongzhi celebration, is a very important celebration in China, since it is the day or night is the longest. After this day, the sunshine time becomes longer and longer, which brings hope to the Chinese. This is why it was a time when Dongzhi party was as important as the Chinese New Year. Typically, Chinese families celebrate this day around a meal, generally by eating Chinese ravioli, sticky rice dumplings, or by worshiping the gods, in paradise, but also to their ancestors, to bring a good fortune.