| Chinese Holidays in 2012 Nov 11th 2011, 10:09 The dates of traditional Chinese holidays such as New Years are based on the Chinese lunisolar calendar, and not the Gregorian calendar, which means that the exact date of the holiday changes annually. Here are the dates of several popular Chinese traditional holidays in 2012, along with information about traditions and recipes associated with the day. 
Rhonda ParkinsonFalling on the first day of the first month of the lunisolar calendar, Chinese New Year is just the start of a fifteen day celebration that ends with the Lantern Festival. Families spend weeks preparing for the event: cleaning and decorating the house, making offerings to the Chinese Kitchen God, and cooking up festive foods. Once Chinese New Year arrives, numerous traditions mark the fifteen day event, from parades and firecrackers to the lucky money envelopes older family members pass out to children on New Year's Day. Chinese New Year Legends
Try some Symbolic Chinese Recipes
Buddha's Delight - a vegetarian dish frequently served on New Year's Day
Calendar of Chinese New Year Activities Falling on the 15th day of the first month of the Chinese lunisolar calendar â€" the night of the first full moon of the New Year - the Lantern Festival marks the end of Chinese New Year celebrations. The traditional food associated with the Lantern Festival are Yuanxiao Dumplings â€" round dumplings made with glutinous rice (sticky rice) flour. Celebrated on the first day on the fifth month of the traditional Chinese calendar (the 15th day after the Spring Equinox), the Qing Ming ("clear bright") festival is a time for families to honor the memories of deceased family members. As the name implies, families tend to the gravesite, sweeping the gravestones if needed and removing debris. Gifts of food and wine are brought for the departed ancestors, and incense may be burned to ward off evil spirits. Although dragon boat races are held on various dates in cities throughout the summer, the official date of the festival is the 5th day of 5th month on the Chinese lunisolar calendar. The traditional festival food associated with the dragon boat festival is Zongzi dumplings. Made with sticky rice (glutinous rice) and wrapped in bamboo leaves, the dumplings commemorate the memory of Qu Yuan, a poet and statesman during the Warring States Period (481 - 221 B.C.). Learn more about the legends behind the Dragon Boat FestivalZongzi Dumpling Recipes Another special day for lovers, Chinese Valentine’ Day falls on the seventh day of the seventh Chinese lunar month. It is also called Seven Sisters festival or the Festival of the Double Sevens, due to a charming legend surrounding its origins. Today, the festival goes by without much in the way of traditional celebrations, as young people generally prefer to celebrate their love on February 14th. Imagine a scarier version of Halloween, with "real" ghosts and lasting for an entire month. During the month of the seventh moon, ghosts that were denied entry into heaven are allowed to return to earth. Learn more about the Hungry Ghost Festival in this feature by About.com’s Guide to Buddhism. 
Rhonda ParkinsonFalling on the 15th day of the eighth month on the traditional Chinese calendar, the Moon Festival is a time for families to come together, admire the fall harvest moon, and enjoy mooncakes. Traditional mooncakes are made sweet or savory fillings such as red bean paste or lotus seed paste, with a salty yolk in the middle to represent the harvest moon. In addition to being rather filling, they are an acquired taste. In recent years, many Chinese bakeries have begun offering fusion mooncakes made with everything from ice cream to decadent Godiva chocolate. Like Chinese New Year, many people in China get the day off work. Falling on the ninth day of the ninth Chinese lunar month, Double Ninth Day is called the Chong Yang festival, as the number nine is masculine (yang) according to the theory of Ying and Yang. In addition, because the words for "nine" and "long time" are homophones (words that sound alike but have different meanings), in 1989, the Chinese government designated double ninth as “Senior Citizens Day†- a day for families to honor their ancestors and elderly persons. Other traditions associated with the day include hill or mountain climbing, drinking chrysanthenum wine, and eating Double Ninth Cake, also called flower cake.  | |
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