China's Public Holidays
Festival & Holidays
Spring Festival
Mid-Autumn Festival
National Day
New Year's Day
There are lots of traditional festivals and holidays
in China. During these times, families get together and celebrate
by eating and drinking. Besides the traditional Chinese holidays
like Spring Festival, many young people now also celebrate western
holidays like Christmas and Halloween.
There are 11 National Public Holidays in China:
Holiday |
Days Off |
New Year |
2 days |
Spring Festival |
3 days |
Labour Day (May 1) |
3 days |
National Day (October 1) |
3 days |
Some Things to Note:
Following the lunar calendar, Spring Festival usually
falls in late January or early to mid February
It is customary for people to "borrow" weekends
to make a three-day holiday into a week-long holiday
Offices and agencies in China follow the five-day
week system
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Spring Festival, or Chinese New Year, is the one
of the most important holidays. Following the lunar calendar, Spring
Festival usually falls in late January or early to mid February.
Chinese New Year is celebrated by Chinese people
everywhere in China and overseas. Everyone buys new clothes, eats
traditional food, and adults give children luck red envelopes containing
money. All over China glows with colourful light displays. Many
flower fairs, temple fairs and lantern shows are held during the
Spring Festival.
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Mid-Autumn Festival (also known as the Moon Festival)
falls in September, or on the 15th day of the 8th lunar month.
On this day, the moon is full and round; and to the Chinese, this
symbolizes family reunion.
This was originally a harvest festival, and on this
day people eat round "moon cakes." Legend says 14 th
Century rebels planning to overthrow the Yuan Dynasty Emperor spread
the call of revolt by hiding secret messages in cakes to escape
detection. Today, moon cakes are filled with different ingredients
including pork, eggs, lotus seeds, sugar, and red bean paste.
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National Day on October 1 marks the most important
national festival. It was on this day in 1949 that the People's
Republic of China was founded. During the celebrations, streets
are lined with flowers and flags, and red lanterns are hung on
the gates of shops and official buildings. The official reception
and celebration are held at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing,
the country's capital.
A grand parade and elaborate fireworks display is
held in Tian'an men Square every fifth or tenth year, with a massive
parade and show.
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In addition to celebrating the lunar new year,
Chinese people also observe the solar new year. Offices usually
get one or two days off at this time, and Chinese people seize
the opportunity to go on short trips or go home to see relatives.
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