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Chinese Holidays and Important Chinese Dates

The Chinese calendar is technically purely astronomical in nature, i.e. it depends on astronomical observation for the determination of each new moon. However, in practice, it is calculated. What follows is a list of those festivals which occur in the Chinese calendar and are observed as holidays in China, Hong Kong and elsewhere. China determines the location for observations as the 120° East (the longitude of the Chinese time zone) but different locations around the globe used in other countries may occasionally cause differences in date of up to one day. Japan uses 135° E.

Note that festivals involving the full moon are always considered to fall on the 15th of the month, even if the full moon is actually on the 14th or the 16th of the month. 

The Chinese New Year, and the two days following, are observed through much of Asia and wherever there are significant concentrations of Chinese population. It is customary to pay of debts, get new clothes and clean the house. There is usually a big family meal and sacrifices are offered to the Gods. Presents of cash are given in red envelopes (the colour red is considered lucky). 

Holidays can be three or even five days long. The 3rd day is also the Birthday of Che Kung. 

The same dates are also true for Tet in Vietnam and the Lunar New Year in Mongolia. 

2005 09 Feb 2006 29 Jan (Dog) 2007 18 Feb

2008 07 Feb 2009 26 Jan 2010 14 Feb

2011 03 Feb 2012 23 Jan 2013 10 Feb

2014 31 Jan 2015 19 Feb

The Lantern Festival occurs on the 15th day of the 1st month. The belief is that spirits can be seen flying about on the night of the first full moon of the year, so people go out with lanterns looking for them. Nowadays, children go out with lanterns in the evening and roam the streets. It is an important public holiday (known locally as Taeborum) in South Korea

2005 24 Feb 2006 13 Feb 2007 05 Mar 

2008 22 Feb 2009 10 Feb 2010 01 Mar

2011 18 Feb 2012 07 Feb 2013 25 Feb

2014 15 Feb 2015 06 Mar 

The Matsu Festival occurs on the 23rd day of the 3rd month (the 3rd quarter of the moon). Matsu was born in A.D. 960.In a dream, young Matsu saved her brother from drowning after their ship sank, and at the age of 28 she ascended into heaven. Her miracles continued, and Matsu earned the title Goddess of the Sea and Empress of Heaven. She is the patron of fishermen. There are rites and processions at Matsu temples. This is also known as the birthday of Tin Hau.

2005 01 May 2006 20 Apr 2007 09 May 

2008 28 Apr 2009 18 Apr 2010 06 May

2011 25 Apr 2012 12 Apr 2013 02 May

2014 22 Apr 2015 11 May 

The Birthday of the Lord Buddha occurs on the 8th day of the 4th month. It is a public holiday in Hong Kong. The same date is also the birthday of Tam Kung.

2005 15 May 2006 05 May 2007 24 May 

2008 12 May 2009 02 May 2010 21 May

2011 10 May 2012 28 Apr 2013 17 May 

2014 06 May 2015 25 May 

Tuen Ng, the Dragon Boat Festival, occurs on the 5th day of the 5th month and commemorates the attempt to rescue the patriotic poet Chu Yuan, who drowned on that day in 277 B.C. Unable to save him, the people threw bamboo stuffed with cooked rice into the water so that the fish would eat the rice rather than the body of their hero. To commemorate this, people eat tzungtzu, rice dumplings filled with ham or bean paste and wrapped in bamboo leaves. The boat races on this day attract large crowds. The boats are large canoes, usually highly decorated.

2005 11 Jun 2006 31 May 2007 19 Jun 

2008 08 Jun 2009 28 Jun 2010 16 Jun

2011 06 Jun 2012 23 Jun 2013 12 Jun 

2014 02 Jun 2015 20 Jun 

Chinese Valentine’s Day or the Seven Sisters’ Festival occurs on the 7th day of the 7th month.

2005 11 Aug 2006 31 Jul 2007 19 Aug

2008 07 Aug 2009 26 Aug 2010 16 Aug

2011 06 Aug 2012 23 Aug 2013 13 Aug 

2014 02 Aug 2015 20 Aug 

The Chung Yuan Festival (Yue Laan in Hong Kong) )occurs on the 15th (full moon) day of the 7th month. Sacrificial feasts are set out in temples and elaborate chanting ceremonies for the dead are conducted by Taoist and Buddhist priests. The whole of the 7th month is dedicated to the spirits of the dead because the gates of hell are open during this time and they are free to roam the earth at will. It is sometimes translated as the “festival of the hungry ghosts”.

2005 19 Aug 2006 08 Aug 2007 27 Aug 

2008 15 Aug 2009 03 Sep 2010 24 Aug

2011 14 Aug 2012 31 Aug 2013 21 Aug 

2014 10 Aug 2015 28 Aug 

The Mid-Autumn Festival, also known as the Harvest Moon Festival, occurs on the 15th day of the 8th month of the Chinese calendar. It is marked by family reunions, moon gazing, and the eating of moon cakes, round pastries stuffed with red bean paste and an egg yolk, or fruit and preserves. There is a legend to the effect that the architect Hou Yih, who built a palace of jade for the Goddess of the western heavens. In reward, she gave Hou Yih a pill with the elixir of immortality. Hou Yih’s ever-curious wife, Chang O, found the pill and promptly swallowed it. As punishment, she was banished to the moon where, according to tradition, her beauty is at its most radiant on the day of the Moon Festival.

In Hong Kong, the holiday given is for the day after (also known as the Monkey God Festival) since the celebrations take place in the evening. The date given here is that of the festival. Yahoo has a page dedicated to the Mid-Autumn Festival

2005 18 Sep 2006 06 Oct 2007 25 Sep

2008 14 Sep 2009 03 Sep 2010 22 Sep

2011 12 Sep 2012 30 Sep 2013 19 Sep

2014 08 Sep 2015 27 Sep

Confucius’ Birthday occurs on the 27th day of the 8th month.

2005 30 Sep 2006 18 Oct 2007 07 Oct

2008 28 Sep 2009 15 Sep 2010 04 Oct

2011 24 Sep 2012 12 Oct 2013 01 Oct

2014 20 Sep 2015 09 Oct

The Chung Yeung Festival occurs on the 9th day of the 9th month and is sometimes referred to as the double 9 festival. It is said that in 200 B.C. a man of the Han Dynasty avoided a catastrophe in his village by taking his family to a high place for the day. The man took with him food and a jug of chrysanthemum wine. This story has developed into a tradition whereby Chinese go picnicking in the mountains on this day. Chung Yeung is also a family remembrance day. Families visit graves to pay their respects to founding ancestors. They share the food they bring along, especially Chinese cakes called ko, which is a homonym of the word for “top”. It is also an auspicious time for the young and for lovers.

2005 11 Oct 2006 30 Oct 2007 19 Oct

2008 07 Oct 2009 26 Oct 2010 16 Oct

2011 05 Oct 2012 23 Oct 2013 13 Oct

2014 02 Oct 2015 21 Oct

The Chinese Solar Year

The Chinese also make use of solar terms in their calendar. These are spaced at intervals of 15 degrees of solar longitude around the year and correspond closely to the entries and mid-points of the western zodiac signs. At least within China, the date and time of each major and minor term is the point at which the solar longitude as observed at 120° East is an exact multiple of 15. The most important term from the calendarist’s point of view is the Winter Solstice, Dongzhi, which invariably falls in the 11th month and is used to determine the start of the Chinese year. Ancestors are venerated on Dongzhi.

Dates for Dongzhi (all in December) are:

2008 21

2009 22

2010 22

2011 22

2012 21

2013 22 

2014 22

2015 22 

Chi’ng Ming or Qingming Festival, on which ancestors are revered and graves are cleaned, is celebrated on the 3rd minor term in early April, usually the 5th, though as the 21st century progresses, it will more often be on the 4th. It is considered unlucky to conduct important business on this day, or have an operation. It is also believed that unhappy spirits, especially those with unfinished business, wander the earth at this time. The holiday is officially observed in Hong Kong and Taiwan and is popular, though not official, in other Chinese countries.

Dates for Qing Ming until 2015 (all in April) are:

2008 4

2009 4

2010 5

2011 5

2012 4

2013 4 

2014 5

2015 5