Learn Chinese for Navigating China's Major Festivals

China boasts a diverse tapestry of festivals and customs, each offering a unique cultural experience. This article will introduce China's major annual festivals and explain the linguistic nuances that have arisen through the customs, food, and traditions that are displayed during these special days.

To understand both Chinese culture and language, grasping the cultural significance of these special periods is key. From the bombastic fire displays of the Spring Festival holiday to the serene splendour of the Mid-Autumn Moon, each festival offers a glimpse into the rich history, traditions, and, of course, language of the Middle Kingdom.

Spring Festival 春节: The Undisputed King

春节 chūnjié, aka Spring Festival, aka Lunar New Year, aka CNY, undoubtedly rules the roost when it comes to Chinese festivals. Eternally misaligned with Gregorian New Year tidings, Chinese New Year follows the Lunisolar Calendar 农历 nónɡlì, marking the beginning of the fresh lunar year. Key dates change each year following the lunisolar structure, depending on both lunar phases and the sun's position in the sky. If you're fortunate enough to ring in the new year in China, you'll be privy to quite a spectacle. The loud bangs of firecrackers 爆竹 bàozhú and fireworks 烟火 yānhuo fill the air while there's extra intrigue in the form of dragon and lion dances (舞龙 wǔlóng/舞狴 wǔshī).

Some phrases you may hear, particularly in this Year of the Wood Dragon (2024), are:

新年快乐 xīnnián kuàilè - Happy New Year
过年好 ɡuònián hǎo - Happy New Year
春节快乐 chūnjié kuàilè - Happy Spring Festival
龙年大吉 lóngnián dàjí - Good luck in the Year of the Dragon

Legend has it that at the start of each year, a monster by the name of 年兽 nián shòu (the Chinese words for "year' and 'beast') would come devour villagers and cause general mayhem. The only way to drive Nián away was to use loud noises, bright lights, and the colour red, which are all now associated with Lunar New Year celebrations.

Then there's the grub. As with most Chinese festivals, food has a deep-rooted connection with the new year, with various morsels carrying different symbolic meanings. Two key foodstuffs are 饺子 jiǎozi (dumplings) and 汤圆 tānɡyuán (glutinous rice balls). Dumplings hold special significance due to the word “zi” representing the midnight hour and “jiǎo” sounding similar to “交” (jiāo), which means “exchange” or "togetherness." Therefore, eating dumplings signifies the joyous and auspicious celebration of happiness and family reunion, while also symbolising good fortune, bidding farewell to the old year, and welcoming in the new one. tānɡyuán symbolise family togetherness through their rounded appearance. 圆 yuán (round) is also a homophone of the word for reunion, and Chinese people believe that eating tānɡyuán or the similar snack, yuánxiāo, will bring the family harmony, happiness, and luck in the new year. Generally, they are gobbled up at the culmination of the Spring Festival celebrations (which is also known as Lantern Festival 元宵节 yuánxiāo jié).

Another thing to note is how the Chinese populous perceive the start of a new year as a unique opportunity to change or boost your fortunes for the next year. With this in mind, visits to temples are mandatory, as is the giving and receiving of red envelopes (红包 hónɡbāo). This exchange is seen as crucial to determining your fortunes for the upcoming year! A customary 8,888 or 888 Yuan is seen as optimal for ensuring a fruitful period, with the number eight 八 bā providing maximum luck. Avoid choosing numbers including 四 sì “4” at all costs, as they will instantly recall visions of morbidity, which is again due to a sneaky homophone (死 sǐ also means death).

yuánxiāo (The Lantern Festival), which coincides with the first full moon of the year and signals the conclusion of the Chinese New Year celebration, features enormous paper lanterns that float into the night sky like a scene straight out of Studio Ghibli film. The release of said lanterns is believed to bring prosperity and good fortune for the next year. Historically, the lanterns were released to prevent famine and pestilence for the predominantly farming populace.

Mid-Autumn Festival 中秋节：It's all about the Moon

zhōng qiū jié kuài lè 中秋节快乐! - Happy Mid-Autumn Festival!
yuè liàng jié kuài lè 月亮节快乐！- Happy Moon Festival!
yuè bǐng jié kuài lè 月饼节快乐！- Happy Mooncake Festival!

Famous for its mooncakes and family reunions, the Mid-Autumn Festival 中秋节 (zhōngqiū jié) is second only to CNY in terms of importance to most Chinese people.

The festival is associated with the legend of 嫦娥 cháng'é, the moon goddess, who stole an elixir of immortality from her husband and subsequently floated to the moon, where she would remain for eternity. According to the lunisolar calendar, the primary celebration day falls on the fifteenth day of the eighth month, thus always falling in September or early October, when the moon is at its fullest and brightest.

A favourite pastime during this festival is moongazing. If you can spot either cháng'é or the fabled 玉兔 yùtù (Jade Rabbit), who sacrificed herself and was subsequently immortalised as Chang'e's moon-based companion, then that's a lunar boon! The hobby of moongazing supposedly dates back 3000 years to the beginning of the Zhou Dynasty (周朝代). It's believed that the Emperor would show appreciation to the moon in the hope for a bountiful harvest. 1500 years later, during the Tang dynasty (唐朝), this tradition would be more normalised through gatherings specifically dedicated to lunar worship. The moongazing traditionally takes place over three days, the first day to welcome the moon; the second to admire the moon; and finally, the third to send off the moon on its merry way.

While still on the topic, it would be remiss to ignore the legendary sweet-savoury snack that share the name.

A Brief Guide to Mooncakes

Mooncakes have become so synonymous with Mid-Autumn Festival that you'll commonly hear it referred to as "Mooncake Festival". A run-of-the-mill mooncake 月饼 yuèbǐng is a hefty item. It's average calorific content is 700–900 calories. That's equivalent to a full Big Mac meal. Or three Krispy Kreme donuts. Not one for the WeightWatchers crew, it's fair to say. Flour, sugar, oil, and, quite often, a couple of salted duck egg yolks are to blame for the chunk. So what's the appeal?

Mooncakes have a cherished history in China and started out as moon-shaped cookies filled with sesame and various nuts. Over time, the fillings and production methods have developed to include 芋 yù (taro), 绿豆 lǜdòu (mung bean), 榴莲 liúlián (durian), 碎肉 suì ròu (minced pork), 鸭蛋 yādàn (duck eggs), 山药 shānyao (yam), 藕 ǒu (lotus root), and even 绿茶 lǜchá (green tea). Mooncakes are renowned for their savoury-sweet combos and are usually baked to give a crispy, flaky finish to the encasing pastry, although many are now plumping for the slightly healthier 冰皮月饼 bīng pí yuèbǐng ("Snow Skin") variety, which closely resembles Japanese mochi, made from glutinous rice.

It's said that there's a revolutionary spirit within this little pastry, as one historical narrative explains how the Han Chinese overthrew their Mongol overlords at the end of the 元朝 Yuan Dynasty. It's said that the future Ming Emperor ordered millions of mooncakes to be produced - each with a sinister message written inside, ordering the "Death of the Tartars on New Year's Eve!". Therefore there's certainly some nationalistic feeling within the dissemination of this little snack, which still resonates today.

Tomb-sweeping Festival 清明节: Respecting your Ancestors

Taking place in early April every year, 清明节 qīnɡmínɡjié (Tomb-sweeping Festival) is a time for Chinese people to reflect on their lineage and express gratitude to their ancestors who came before them.

Unlike other Chinese festivals, it would be insensitive to add the cheery suffix "快乐" "kuàilè" (happy) when discussing this festival. It would be more prudent to express something such as: “虽然逝者已矣，但他们永远活在我们的心中。” ("Suīrán shì zhě yǐyǐ, dàn tāmen yǒngyuǎn huó zài wǒmen de xīnzhōng") – “Although the deceased are gone, they live forever in our hearts".

The key activity related to qīnɡmínɡjié is to head to the cemetery (墓地 mùdì), find the tombs (坟墓 fénmù) of your beloved ancestors, and essentially give them a spring clean — or "sweep" (扫墓 sǎomù). The norm around this festival is for people to make ancestral sacrifices 祭祀 jìsì by burning various objects 祭品 jìpǐn. Usually these are 烧香 shāoxiāng (incense) or 纸钱 zhǐqián (paper money), although this practice is being stamped out due to the increased fire hazards and smog (雾霾 wùmái) it causes! Due to their somewhat "flame-like" petals, people have occasionally substituted 菊花 júhuā (chrysanthemums) for these in recent years.

With spring in full swing and usually some pretty pleasant weather on show, another favourite activity is 放风筝 fàng fēngzhēng (kite-flying), and you'll see a lot of colourful kites in the sky during this time.

As with all Chinese festivals, specified snacks are on the menu. Generally, 冷食 lěng shí (cold food) is traditionally approved due to an old custom of avoiding fire, whilst 青团 qīngtuán (a green dumpling made of glutinous rice) are also commonly eaten.

Dragon Boat Festival 端午节: Warding off Danger

Dragon Boat Festival 端午节 duānwǔjié is celebrated on the fifth day of the fifth month of the lunar calendar. As a result, it is also knows as "Double Fifth Festival". It's said that the festival falls at this time due to the emergence of China's five most poisonous creatures (五毒 wǔ dú). Those creatures are slightly interchangeable but are generally referred to as:

Snakes - 蛇 shé
Scorpoions - 蝎子 xiēzi
Toads - 蟾蜍 chánchú
Spiders - 蜘蛛 zhīzhū
Centipedes - 蜈蚣 wúgōng

To counteract these poisonous beasts, traditionally, people hung fragrant mugwort pouches (香包 xiānɡbāo) around their necks and drank realgar wine (雄黄酒 xiónghuángjiǔ). To further repel the nasties, special amulets (五毒錢 wǔ dú qián) were often carried around.

In modern times, the most synonymous activity related to this festival is 龙舟比赛 lóngzhōu bǐsài (long-boat racing), which takes place on rivers and lakes not only in China but across the world.

The celebration commemorates the passing of 屈原 Qū Yuán, a poet from the Warring States era who hurled himself into the Miluo River in despair after growing weary of China's warring factions. When it became clear that he could not be saved, the people tossed 粽子 zònɡzi (glutinous rice parcels) into the river to honour his body and prevent the fish from nibbling his corpse. To honour the cherished poet, zònɡzi of various tastes are still consumed during duānwǔjié.

你喜欢吃什么口味的粽子? nǐ xǐhuɑn chī shénme kǒuwèi de zònɡzi? - What zònɡzi flavour do you like?
我要参加学校的龙舟比赛 wǒ yào cānjiā xué xiào de lónɡzhōu bǐsài - I will join the dragon-boat race.
端午安康 duānwǔjié ānkāng - Wishing a safe and healthy Dragon Boat Festival.

Golden Week 黄金周: China's National Pride

Golden Week, 黄金周 huánɡjīnzhōu, is a week-long holiday that occurs directly after the Mid-Autumn Holiday and is a main time that Chinese people will travel, with no real family obligations. The holiday centres around China’s National Day (国庆节 guóqìngjié), which occurs every October 1. Showy military parades are held on this day every year to commemorate the founding of the People's Republic of China in 1949, with 2024 celebrating the 75th anniversary of the PRC. This is usually a time when nationalistic rhetoric spikes somewhat, and censorship levels can increase.

One small tip: avoid hopping behind the wheel if you're ever in China during huánɡjīnzhōu. The world's largest mass migration event usually happens at the start and end of this holiday, which can result in quite literally, ten-day-long traffic jams (堵车 dǔchē).

Wish someone a happy Golden Week with the following phrases:

祝您黄金周快乐 zhù nín huáng jīn zhōu kuài lè
黄金周快乐 huáng jīn zhōu kuài lè

A Smorgasbord of Culture

This article only explains the most important annual festivities, and barely scratches the surface with regard to the countless smaller celebrations that occur. Even so, this blog should be a helpful starting point for some key vocabulary, phrases and historical information about China's major holidays.

假期愉快 jiàqī yúkuài - Happy holidays!