What are the traditional festivals?

The traditional festivals in China mainly include the Spring Festival (the first day of the first lunar month); Lantern Festival (15th day of the first lunar month); Tomb-Sweeping Day (around April 5th of Gregorian calendar); Dragon Boat Festival (the fifth day of the fifth lunar month); China Valentine's Day (the seventh day of the seventh lunar month); ? Mid-Autumn Festival (August 15th of the lunar calendar); Double Ninth Festival (the ninth day of the ninth lunar month);

1, Spring Festival

Spring Festival-the first day of the first lunar month. Spring Festival is the first traditional festival in China. In the past, the Spring Festival was called "New Year" because according to the lunar calendar that has been used in China's history, this day is the first day of the first month and the beginning of a new year. According to records, the people of China have celebrated the Spring Festival for more than 4,000 years, which was initiated by Yu Shun. One day more than two thousand years BC, Shun became emperor and led his men to worship heaven and earth. Since then, people have regarded this day as the beginning of a year, that is, the first day of the first month. It is said that this is the origin of the Lunar New Year, which was later called the Spring Festival.

During the Spring Festival, every household puts up Spring Festival couplets and New Year pictures to decorate their rooms. The night before the Spring Festival is called "New Year's Eve", which is an important moment for family reunion. The whole family get together and have a big "New Year's Eve". Many people stay up late, which is the so-called "shou nian". The next day, everyone began to "pay New Year greetings" to relatives and friends, greeting each other and wishing all the best in the new year. During the Spring Festival, lion dancing, dragon dancing, boating and walking on stilts are the most common traditional recreational activities.

2. Lantern Festival

Lantern Festival-The 15th day of the first lunar month, also known as Shangyuan Festival, Xiao Yuan Festival, Lantern Festival or Lantern Festival. Lantern Festival is one of the traditional festivals in China, Chinese character cultural circle and overseas Chinese. The first month is the first month of the lunar calendar. The ancients called "night", so the fifteenth day of the first full moon in a year was called Lantern Festival. After the Lantern Festival, there is a custom of eating Yuanxiao and watching lanterns. Yuanxiao is round, with glutinous rice flour as the skin and fruit and sugar stuffing inside, which is a symbol of "reunion".

Lantern viewing in the East began in the period of Emperor Han Ming and was related to Buddhism. During the reign of Emperor Wen of Han Dynasty, the 15th day of the first month was named Lantern Festival, which was linked with the Spring Festival. During the day, it is a city, full of excitement, and at night, it is brightly lit and spectacular. Especially the exquisite and colorful lights make it the climax of entertainment activities during the Spring Festival. In the Qing Dynasty, dragon and lion dances, roller boating, walking on stilts and yangko dancing were added, making the Lantern Festival more colorful.

In recent years, another activity called "solve riddles on the lanterns" has been added to the Lantern Festival. Lantern riddles are generally composed of three parts, namely riddles, riddles and answers, also known as lantern riddles. Solve riddles on the lanterns is not only an interesting word game, but also an educational entertainment.

3. Tomb-Sweeping Day

Tomb-Sweeping Day-Tomb-Sweeping Day is one of the 24 solar terms, which is relatively fixed from April 4th to April 6th every year. According to legend, Tomb-Sweeping Day began with the ceremony of offering sacrifices to the tombs of ancient emperors. Later, people rushed to follow suit and became a long-standing fine tradition of the Chinese nation, with a history of more than 2,500 years.

Whenever we go to Tomb-Sweeping Day, people will take advantage of this rare holiday to go back to their hometown to worship their ancestors, whether it is "rainy in the Qingming Festival" or sunny and beautiful spring. No matter old people or children, at this time, there will be a little concern for their hometown. Bowing down, burning incense, kowtowing, bowing, visiting relatives who are buried underground, and doing filial piety are virtues that Chinese children should carry forward.

Walking is also a major activity in Tomb-Sweeping Day. During Tomb-Sweeping Day, the weather became warmer and plants sprouted again. People often go hiking together, fly kites and enjoy the spring scenery in the suburbs, so Tomb-Sweeping Day is sometimes called "Walking Festival".

4. Dragon Boat Festival

The Dragon Boat Festival on the fifth day of the fifth lunar month is one of the four traditional festivals in China. According to the Chronicle of Jingchu, it is midsummer when the sun is on the mountain and it is midsummer in May. Its first afternoon is a sunny day to climb mountains in the sun, so the fifth day of May is also called "Duanyang Festival". Also known as Zhengyang Festival, Dragon Boat Festival, Noon Festival, May Day, Dragon Boat Festival, Yulan Festival, Tianzhong Festival, etc.

The custom of eating palm seeds on Dragon Boat Festival is to commemorate the patriotic poet Qu Yuan. Legend has it that Qu Yuan threw himself into the Miluo River when he learned that Chu had perished. The local people admired Qu Yuan's patriotic spirit and rowed boats and threw zongzi into the river to feed the fish, fearing that the fish would eat Qu Yuan's body. Time flies, as a custom, the activity of commemorating the patriotic poet Qu Yuan has been passed down from the Warring States to today.

For middle-aged parents with children, the most important thing of Dragon Boat Festival is to protect their children's health and safety. Because of the Dragon Boat Festival, the heat rises and the five poisons come out. Parents give their children realgar, hang sachets and tie colored ropes, which are all parents' ardent expectations for their children.

5. Tanabata?

Valentine's Day in China-the seventh day of the seventh lunar month, is the legendary day when the Cowherd and the Weaver Girl meet each other every year. Tanabata is one of the most romantic traditional festivals in China and the most important day for girls in the past. On this night, the girls put seasonal fruits and vegetables in front of the bright moon in the sky, prostrating themselves in worship and begging the goddess in the sky to give them intelligent hearts and dexterous hands, so that they can master their knitting skills. Therefore, Valentine's Day in China is also called "Beggar's Day" and "Girls' Day".

Tanabata culture praises the faithful concept of marriage and love, which embodies people's yearning and pursuit of ideal love and inherits and carries forward the fine traditional virtues of the Chinese nation. The begging and praying activities in Qixi culture reflect the spirit of the Chinese nation's diligence and wisdom, unremitting self-improvement, courage to create and continuous pursuit of a happier and better life.

6. Mid-Autumn Festival

Mid-Autumn Festival-the 15th day of the eighth lunar month, also known as "Reunion Festival". August 15 is autumn, hence the name "Mid-Autumn Festival". The Mid-Autumn Festival originated from the ritual of the ancient emperors offering sacrifices to the moon in autumn. Since Wei, Jin, Tang and Song Dynasties, it has gradually evolved into the custom of enjoying the moon. The word "Mid-Autumn Festival" first appeared in the book Zhou Li, and it really became a national holiday in the Tang Dynasty. It is said that the formation of this important festival of the Chinese nation is related to the story of "Tang Sleepwalking in the Moon Palace". In ancient times, during the Mid-Autumn Festival, people would offer exquisite moon cakes to the Moon God. After the sacrifice, the whole family shared it, indicating family reunion. This custom has been passed down to this day.

7. Double Ninth Festival

Double Ninth Festival, the ninth day of the ninth lunar month, is a festival that rose after Wei and Jin Dynasties. The names of "Double Ninth Festival" and "Double Ninth Festival" originated in the Three Kingdoms period. There are mainly five traditional customs. First, climb the mountain. At this time, the autumn is crisp and the scenery is pleasant. This is a good season for traveling, which can not only cultivate interest, but also benefit health. Second, inserting Cornus officinalis can drive away autumn mosquitoes and kill pests. The third is drinking and enjoying chrysanthemums. September in the lunar calendar is the time when chrysanthemums are in full bloom. Seeing all kinds of chrysanthemums and drinking several cups of chrysanthemum wine are also the joy of the Double Ninth Festival. The fourth is to eat Chongyang cake. People make the grains into white and delicious rice cakes, which are called Chongyang cakes. "Cake" and "Gao" are homophonic, meaning that eating can be promoted step by step. The fifth is to carry out activities to respect the elderly. The wind of respecting the elderly in Chongyang has never stopped since ancient times.

The traditional festivals in China are loaded with myths, legends, astronomy, geography, numbers, calendars and other humanistic and natural cultural contents. Various forms and rich contents are an important part of the long history and culture of the Chinese nation.