Dear Maria,
Hello, I am Kangkang. I heard that you are interested in Chinese traditional festival, let me introduce some of them to you.
The first one is Spring Festival, the traditional Chinese New Year’s Day, which is China’s most important national holiday. The date of the new year is still determined by the lunar calendar even though the government of the Republic of China adopted the international Gregorian calendar in 1912. New Year’s Day typically occurs sometime in early spring (February). When Spring Festival comes, people away from their hometowns usually come back and spend it with their families. People mainly do two things during the festival. One is eating, and the other is playing. They usually buy different kinds of food and make different kinds of delicious dishes, and play in different ways.
In the spirit of setting things straight, all account books should be balanced, debts paid off, and houses cleaned before New Year’s Day. Then houses, businesses, and streets are decked and draped with banners, flowers, and scrolls of vivid red, a traditionally lucky and demon-dispelling hue.
The second one is Lantern Festival.The Lantern Festival is a festival celebrated on the fifteenth day of the first month in the lunisolar year in thelunar calendar marking the last day of the lunar New Year celebration. During the Lantern Festival, children go out at night to temples carrying paper lanterns and solve riddles on the lanterns.In ancient times, the lanterns were fairly simple, and only the emperor and noblemen had large ornate ones . In modern times, lanterns have been embellished with many complex designs. For example, lanterns are now often made in the shape of animals. The lanterns can symbolize the people letting go of their past selves and getting new ones, which they will let go of the next year. The lanterns are almost always red to symbolize good fortune.
In Hong Kong, it is commercialized as the Chinese equivalent of Valentine's Day. It is not to be confused with the Mid-Autumn Festival; which is sometimes also known as the "Lantern Festival" in locations such as Singapore and Malaysia.
The third one is Pure Brightness Day.Festival of Pure Brightness is also called Tomb-Sweeping Day. It is the occasion for all Chinese to honor their ancestors. It falls on the 12th day of the 3rd lunar month.
The fourth one is Dragon Boat Day,The Dragon Boat is a traditional and statutory holiday originating in China.The festival now occurs on the 5th day of the 5th month of the traditional lunar calendar, the source of its alternative name, the Double Fifth Festival.[5] The Chinese calendar is lunisolar, so the date varies from year to year on theGregorian calendar. In 2012, it fell on June 23; in 2013, on June 12; and in 2014, it occured on June 2. The focus of most celebrations involves eating zongzi (sticky rice treats wrapped in bamboo leaves), drinking realgar wine and racing dragon boats.The sun is considered to be at its strongest around the time of summer solstice, as the daylight in the northern hemisphere is the longest. The sun, like the Chinese dragon, traditionally represents masculine energy, whereas the moon, like the phoenix, traditionally represents feminine energy. The summer solstice is considered the annual peak of male energy while the winter solstice, the longest night of the year, represents the annual peak of feminine energy. The masculine image of the dragon was thus naturally associated with Duanwu .
The last one is Mid-Autumn Festival.The Mid-Autumn Festival is an official harvest festival celebrated by Chinese and Vietnamese peoples.The festival is held on the 15th day of the eighth month in the Chinese calendar and Vietnamese calendar, during a full moon, which is in late September or early October in the Gregorian calendar, close to the autumnal equinox.
The Government of the People's Republic of China listed the festival as an "intangible cultural heritage" in 2006 and apublic holiday in 2008. It is also a public holiday on Taiwan. Among the Vietnamese, it is considered the second-most important holiday tradition.Making and sharing mooncakes is one of the hallmark traditions of this festival. In Chinese culture, a round shape symbolizes completeness and unity. Thus, the sharing of round mooncakes among family members signify the completeness and unity of families. In some areas of China, there is a tradition of making mooncakes during the night of the Mid-Autumn Festival.
China is a country with long history and colorful culture.if you come to China, I would be very glad to be your guide.
Yours sincerely,
Kangkang