1. Chinese 中国 Festivals 节日

2. Overview  There are 8 main festivals celebrated throughout the year that are:  Spring Festival  Lantern Festival  Qingming Festival  Dragon Boat Festival  Double Seventh Festival  Mid- Autumn Festival  Double Ninth Festival  Winter Solstice Festival

3. Spring Festival 春节  Is the most important festival for Chinese people, all the family members get together, almost like Christmas in the West for the Chinese.  Falls on the first day of the first lunar month.  Originated in Shang Dynasty.  Celebrates the New Year, the 12 th lunar month is also celebrated before this festival, that “sees the New Year in”.  People eat edible oil, rice, flour, chicken, duck, fish and meat, but also fruit, candies and different kinds of nuts.  Exchange of gifts

4. Lantern Festival 元宵节  Falls on the 15 th day of the first lunar month.  Originated in Western Han Dynasty.  Lanterns of various shapes and sizes, store bought and homemade are hung in the streets, attracting countless visitors each year.  Guessing lantern riddles "is an essential part of the Festival. Lantern owners write riddles on a piece of paper and post them on the lanterns. People can guess answers, and if they’re right they’re rewarded with little gifts.  People will eat yuanxiao, or rice dumplings, on this day, so it is also called the "Yuanxiao Festival. People eat them to denote union, harmony and happiness for the family.

5. Qingming Festival 清明节  Also known as the Pure Brightness Festival is one of the 24 seasonal division points in China, falling on April 4-6 each year.  After the festival, rainfall is said to increase and temperatures are said to rise.  Is a combination of happiness and sadness, also the most important day of sacrifice.  Both the Han and minority ethnic groups at this time offer sacrifices to their ancestors and sweep the tombs of the deceased. Also, they will not cook on this day and only cold food is served.  After slightly sweeping the tombs, people offer food, flowers and favorites of the dead, then burn incense and paper money and bow before the memorial tablet.  People also enjoy hope of Spring on this day, and they spend most of the day outside.

6. Dragon Boat Festival 端午节  Falls on the 5 th day of the 5 th lunar month, it’s history extends back 2000 years.  People also follow the customs such as dragon boat racing, eating zongzi and drinking realgar wine on that day.  The day’s main activity is Dragon Boat racing, and as the gun fires, boats from all over the country race against each other amid rapid drums.  Zongzi is an essential food of the Dragon Boat Festival. It is a glutinous rice dumplings wrapped in reed or other plant leaves and tied with colored thread, and may include bean paste, meat, ham or egg yolk.

7. Double Seventh Festival 七夕节  Falls on the 7 th day of the seventh lunar month. (Mid August)  Traditional customs are still observed in rural areas of China, but have been weakened or diluted in urban cities.  People celebrate the love story of Cowherd and Weaver Maid, and on the Double Seventh Festival they are allowed to meet again, this day is called “Qi Xi”.  In modern times, some urban areas now celebrate this as Valentine’s day.

8. Mid Autumn Festival 中秋节  Falls on the 15th day of the 8th lunar month. (October)  Day of worshipping the full moon and eating moon cakes.  Wrote poems and such to express their emotions about their home and the moon.  Poems include ones like Jing Ye Si, by Li Bai.

9. Double Ninth Festival 重阳节  Falls on 9th day of the 9th lunar month, also known as the Chongyang Festival. (October)  In Yi Jing, The Book of Changes it says the number 9 is masculine and positive, so that’s where the festival originated from.  Also called the "Height Ascending Festival”, people will travel to little known mountains to preserve their health.  People also eat Double Ninth Gao, Gao in this case means both ‘cake’ and ‘height’ in Chinese.

10. Winter Solstice Festival 冬至  As early as 2,500 years ago, about the Spring and Autumn Period (770-476 BC), China had determined the point of Winter Solstice by observing movements of the sun with a sundial.  This falls on each December 21/22.  The Chinese believe the yang, or muscular, positive things will become stronger and stronger after this day, so it should be celebrated.  In Northern China people eat dumplings on this day in order to keep away frost from the upcoming Winter.

11. Vocabulary Words:  节 - Festival  冬天 - Winter