Official and traditional holidays and weekends in China

2024 Author: Priscilla Miln | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-16 00:21

Celebrations are the most important part of China's cultural heritage. On the dates of their celebration, the population receives a day off, for large and important celebrations - from 3 to 7 days. All this time, there has been a commotion in the country, as the Chinese are trying to spend holidays outside the walls of their homes.

General information

The working week in China lasts 5 days. Official rest days are Saturday and Sunday. But the holidays are divided into 2 categories:

• borrowed (Gregorian calendar) - celebrated on fixed days;
• according to the lunar calendar - the dates of celebrations are determined by the phase of the moon.

That's why in China, national holidays change from year to year. To find out, for example, what date is the New Year in China, you need to specify the lunar cycle.

Official celebrations

Regulated public holidays in China fall on the following holidays:

• New Year (according to generally accepted rules) January 1, the Chinese do not perceive as a holiday. But they are loyal to him, because they don’t go to work on this day.
• Foundation Day of the People's Republic of China is celebrated on October 1st. It was on this day in 1949 thatBeijing Square was announced the main news for the country. The population honors this date and celebrates the holiday for a whole week.
• Labor Day May 1 is marked with one day off. On this day, people prefer to walk in the park, dance and sing songs.

Traditional holidays

The main national holidays are also legally approved. Weekends in China on some dates are longer than for official events.

All Souls' Day (Qingming) usually falls in the first decade of April. People decorate the graves of loved ones with flowers and burning candles for the holiday. Collective events are held to lay wreaths at the monuments of great people. Also, the Chinese go out of town for a walk. Therefore, the second name of the holiday is translated as "The Day of Walking on the First Grass".

Duan Wu or Dragon Boat Festival is celebrated on the 5th day of the fifth lunar month. Therefore, it is also called the "holiday of two fives". The celebration is held in honor of the ancient poet and politician, whose body people searched for in boats and threw rice into the water to appease the spirits. On this day, the Chinese arrange boat rides and treat each other with sweet, spicy or s alty rice pies. The day off is given in the amount of one day.

The Mid-Autumn Festival is celebrated in September-October and symbolizes half of the past year and the end of the harvest. On this day, there is always a full moon, so the celebration is associated with honors to the goddess of the moon. The treat is gingerbread with filling andthe image of hieroglyphs with wishes. The holiday is considered right to spend with the family.

Chinese New Year

And yet, what date is the New Year in China? The answer to this question lies in the lunar phases. Chun Jie is celebrated from January 21 to February 21 and is translated as "spring festival".

The Chinese celebrate the New Year with an abundance of fireworks and crackers - the noise scares away evil spirits. Jiaozi is considered mandatory on the table - a kind of dumplings that bring good luck. There must be noodles on the second day so that life is as long as it is and the year is smooth. All Christmas clothes are brand new for happiness in the coming year.

A traditional gift is an envelope with red money - hongbao. You can give fruits, sweets, eggs. At this time, various costume festivals are held on the streets of the country.

On the New Year holidays in China is 7 days. But people celebrate for at least 2 weeks. This is explained by the fact that the end of the main holiday also marks a separate celebration - the festival of lanterns, which are launched into the sky in the evening by the hundreds. The flight is a symbol of the departure of the souls of relatives who celebrated the New Year. In addition to lanterns, the main attribute is rice flour balls - Tang Yuen.

Interesting celebrations

There are many holidays in the country that are not marked by days off, but are celebrated with no less scope and fun. These include:

• Winter Solstice (December 21-23)symbolizes the awakening of nature and the onset of cold weather.
• Double Ninth Day (October). Double "9" is considered a positive number, which is why the Chinese believe that this day brings happiness.
• Bachelor's Day - November 11, celebrated by people who are not married. It is considered symbolic on this day to start relationships and make new acquaintances.
• Arboring Day - March 12th. The holiday was formed in connection with the decree of 1981, which obliged every inhabitant of the country to plant at least three trees per year. People go out on Saturdays on this day.

Officially, there are no holidays in China for these celebrations.

Holidays are the historical heritage of the Middle Kingdom. They are unique in their traditions and ways of conducting and are distinguished by a bright national color. Weekends in China, associated with important dates for the country, give people the opportunity not only to relax, but also to spend their free time with the benefit of moral development. As a result, spiritual unity occurs and efficiency increases.