Major Chinese Festivals and Traditions

China boasts a wealth of traditional festivals with a long history and deep cultural significance. Here’s a guide to the most important ones:

1. Traditional Festivals (Lunar Calendar-Based)

Spring Festival (Chinese New Year) – Lunar Jan 1

• Meaning: The Lunar New Year, China’s most important holiday.
• Customs: Put up red couplets, hang lanterns, set off firecrackers, stay up late on New Year’s Eve, visit friends and relatives, give red envelopes, eat dumplings (North China) or sticky rice cakes and sweet dumplings (South China).
• Highlights: Family reunions, temple fairs, dragon and lion dances.

Lantern Festival – Lunar Jan 15

• Meaning: Celebrated after the Spring Festival, symbolizing family reunion.
• Customs: Enjoy colorful lanterns, solve lantern riddles, eat rice dumplings (North) or glutinous rice balls (South).

Qingming Festival – April 4-6 (Solar Calendar)

• Meaning: Honor ancestors and sweep their graves.
• Customs: Tomb sweeping, offering flowers, spring outings, flying kites.

Dragon Boat Festival – Lunar May 5

• Meaning: Commemorates the poet Qu Yuan.
• Customs: Dragon boat races, eat zongzi (rice dumplings), hang mugwort and calamus, wear fragrant sachets, drink realgar wine (in some areas).

Ghost Festival – Lunar July 15

• Meaning: Pay respects to ancestors and wandering spirits.
• Customs: Burn paper money, float lanterns on rivers.

Mid-Autumn Festival – Lunar Aug 15

• Meaning: A festival celebrating reunion and the full moon.
• Customs: Eat mooncakes, admire the moon, drink osmanthus wine, play with lanterns.

Double Ninth Festival – Lunar Sept 9

• Meaning: Respect for the elderly and climbing to avoid bad luck.
• Customs: Hiking, enjoy chrysanthemums, drink chrysanthemum wine, eat Double Ninth cakes.

Laba Festival – Lunar Dec 8

• Meaning: Traditional sacrificial festival.
• Customs: Drink Laba porridge, soak Laba garlic (North China).

2. Ethnic Minority Festivals

Water-Splashing Festival (Dai People) – Mid-April

• Location: Xishuangbanna, Yunnan
• Customs: Splash water to bless each other, sing and dance performances, release Kongming lanterns.

Naadam Festival (Mongolian) – July to August

• Location: Inner Mongolia
• Customs: Wrestling, horse racing, archery, grassland songs and dances.

Torch Festival (Yi People) – Lunar June 24

• Location: Sichuan, Yunnan
• Customs: Light torches to drive away evil and pray for blessings, sing and dance celebrations.

Eid al-Adha & Eid al-Fitr (Uyghur, Hui, etc.)

• Location: Xinjiang, Ningxia
• Customs: Religious worship, family gatherings, gifting food and clothing.

For more details, check: https://chinawondersguide.com/2025/08/21/top-chinese-festivals-you-should-know-about/