Chinese Holidays and Festivals
The Chinese observe a wide variety of traditional and modern holidays, based both on the lunar and solar calendars. The traditional Chinese calendar was based on a lunar cycle– that is, dates following the regular appearance of the full moon. Even so, the equinox and solstice were essential for determining seasons in China’s agrarian society. With the international use of the Gregorian Calendar, some modern holidays, such as the birthdays of national leaders, are based on that.
Major holidays celebrated in China, Taiwan, and overseas Chinese communities are marked in bold, with this year’s corresponding Gregorian dates in parenthesis.
Lunar Holidays and Birthdays
| 1st Moon | |
|---|---|
| Day 1 | Chinese New Year |
| Day 9 | Birthday of the Jade Emperor |
| Day 15 | The Lantern Festival |
| 2nd Moon | |
| Day 2 | Birthday of Tudigong, Lord of the Earth |
| Day 3 | Birthday of Wenchang, God of Literature |
| Day 15 | Birthday of Lao Zi, Founder of Taoism |
| Day 19 | Birthday of Guanyin, Goddess of Mercy |
| 3rd Moon | |
| Day 3 | Birthday of Xuantian Shangdi, God of Rain |
| Day 23 | Birthday of Mazu, Goddess of the Sea |
| 4th Moon | |
| Day 8 | Birthday of Siddhartha, Founder of Buddhism |
| Day 14 | Birthday of Lu Dongbin, one of the Eight Immortals |
| Day 18 | Birthday of Huato, Patron Saint of Medicine |
| 5th Moon | |
| Day 5 | Dragon Boat Festival |
| 6th Moon | |
| Day 24 | Birthday of Guan Gong, God of Warriors |
| 7th Moon | (Ghost Month) |
| Day 7 | Lover’s Day |
| Day 15 | Hungry Ghost Festival |
| Day 30 | Birthday of Dizang Wang, King of the Underworld |
| 8th Moon | |
| Day 15 | Mid-Autumn Festival |
| Day 16 | Birthday of Sun Wugong, the Monkey King |
| Day 27 | Birthday of Confucius |
| 9th Moon | |
| Day 9 | Double Ninth Day |
| 10th Moon | |
| Day 1 | Sending off the Winter Clothes |
| Day 5 | Birthday of Damo, founder of Chan Buddhism |
| 12th Moon | |
| Day 8 | Celebration of Siddhartha achieving enlightenment |
| Day 23 | Kitchen God reports to the Jade Emperor |
| Solar Holidays and Birthdays | |
| April 4, 5, or 6 | Tomb Sweeping Day |
| September 28 | Teacher’s Day (Taiwan — Confucius’ Birthday) |
| October 1 | National Day (People’s Republic of China) |
| October 10 | National Day (Taiwan — “Double Tenth”) |
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