Chinese Holidays

Dongzhi Festival， This is the shortest day of the year (hello, long nights!) and the longest night—after this day, the days start getting longer, and the nights get shorter. In China, we have a saying: “Winter Solstice is as important as Spring Festival”—which means one thing: MORE FOOD. Seriously, this festival is all about eating…

Double Ninth Festival (Chongyang Festival), This is China’s “Senior Citizens’ Day”—but it’s not just about honoring grandparents (though that’s a big, important part of it). It’s also a festival about longevity, good health, and enjoying the autumn scenery. The number “9” is considered a lucky number in Chinese culture because it sounds exactly like the…

Mid-Autumn Festival,This is China’s “harvest festival,” and it’s all about the moon—the roundest, brightest moon of the year, to be exact. It falls in late August or early September, when the harvest is done (rice, fruits, vegetables are all ready to be picked), and it’s a time to celebrate abundance, gratitude, and family reunion. The…

Qixi Festival，Ah, China’s Valentine’s Day! But wait—it’s not just about flowers and chocolates (though those are okay too). It’s a romantic, fairy-tale festival with a sweet story behind it, and it’s all about love, hope, and making wishes. The story goes like this: there was a beautiful weaver girl named Zhinu (Weaver Girl) who was…

Dragon Boat Festival stival This is the most “active” festival of the bunch—think: boat races, sticky rice pyramids, fragrant sachets, and lots of yelling (in a good way). The story behind it is a little sad, but we turn it into a celebration of life, courage, and community. We’re remembering a patriotic poet named Qu…

Qingming Festival Okay, let’s get real for a second—this one is a little more serious than the others, but it still has a fun, joyful side. Think of it as China’s Memorial Day, but with more nature, more hiking, and way more green food. Qingming literally means “Clear and Bright,” and it falls right when…

Lantern Festival：This is like the “after-party” of Spring Festival—because one week of eating and celebrating just isn’t enough, and we need one last hurrah before getting back to work or school. Imagine a night where every street, park, and square is lined with thousands of colorful lanterns—shapes like rabbits, dragons, pandas, flowers, and even cartoon…

Chinese New Year：Think of this as China’s Christmas + Thanksgiving + New Year’s Eve, all rolled into one—except way more colorful, with better snacks, and zero awkward small talk with distant relatives (okay, maybe a little, but the food makes up for it). It’s the biggest, most important holiday of the year in China—so big…