Festivals and Celebrations

In China with more than 5,000 years of history, many festivals have gradually been shaped. The origins of China's traditional festivals can be traced to the Shang Dynasty (16th -11th century B.C.). According to their origins, China's festivals mainly fall into three categories, agricultural, religious and social festivals. According to their contents, Chinese festivals can be divided into five kinds, including of agricultural, commemorative, recreational and celebratory festivals. Agricultural festivals, such as the Beginning of the spring, the Spring Equinox and so on, are mainly concerned with farming, forestry, fishing and hunting activities. Sacrificial festival, the Pure Brightness for example, is derived from religious sacrificing days, on which people offer sacrifices to Gods, their ancestors and deceased relatives to pray for protection against evil spirits and disasters. Commemorative festivals are festivals when people commemorate national heroes. Recreational festivals are usually spent with singing, dancing, and other recreational activities, of which the Song or Torch Festivals of some minority ethnic groups are the examples. As to the celebration festivals, they are the main festivals of China, typical of which is the Spring Festival. As civilization advanced, these festivals have infiltrated and influenced with each other and gradually blended to form China's festival today.

Chinese Traditional Festivals are dated on the Chinese Lunar calendar. The dates of each festival in each year are varied. Elements common to all Chinese festivals are expression of a desire for happiness and wellbeing, the warding off misfortune, experiencing an oneness between man and heaven, and family reunion.

The rhythm of China's traditional festivals was set by the sowing and reaping of crops. Chinese New Year, for example, comes in winter, when farmers are unable to work in the field; the Lantern Festival marks the conclusion of the Chinese New Year season; Tomb Weeping Day comes between spring plowing and summer weeding; the Dragon Boat Festival occurs after one of the harvests of the year is completed; the Mid-Autumn Festival comes around the final harvest of the year.

China is a large country with 55 ethnic minorities. Because of the differences in living environments, history and customs, characteristic festivals are held by the ethnic minorities besides the Spring Festival, and Mid-autumn Festival that the Han Chinese celebrate. All these traditional ethnic minority festivals are regarded as indispensable components of the minorities' customs.

It is estimated that more than 1,200 of the 1,700 Chinese festivals are ethnic minorities' festivals. Each festival there is based on its own origin or legend, and a single festival can also have different origins. Some of these festivals are related to religions and beliefs, such as the Corban Festival and Kaizhai Festival, whereas others are linked to entertainment activities, such as the Nadam Fair of Mongolia and the Tibetan New Year.

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