CHINESE FESTIVALS

CHINESE NEW YEAR

• Chinese New Year is celebrated for 7 days in total
• The Chinese celebrate by eating reunion dinner with family, giving red envelopes (which are said to bring good luck), firecrackers, new clothes, and putting up decorations
• Dumplings, spring rolls, glutinous rice cakes, sweet rice balls, and especially fish are the main foods eaten

LANTERN FESTIVAL

• The Lantern Festival is celebrated on the 15th day of the first Chinese lunar month
• The most common types of celebration are lighting and enjoying lanterns, guessing lantern riddles, and lion dances.
• Tangyuan is the most important food custom of the Lantern Festival

WINTER SOLSTICE

• In the Gregorian calendar, the Winter Solstice usually falls around December 21
• The Winter Solstice is celebrated to worship and offer scarifies to God and to ancestors. Common people normally showed their respect to their parents and elders
• Hot dumplings, red bean and glutinous rice are common foods served

LABA FESTIVAL

• Celebrated on the twelve day of the lunar moon
• Laba Congee is a porridge custom only served on the day of the Laba Festival
• People offer up their prayers to the gods of heaven and earth

MID-AUTUMN FESTIVAL

• The Mid-Autumn Festival is celebrated the 15th day of the 8th month of the Chinese lunar moon
• Reunion diners, worshipping the moon, and flying lanterns are all celebrated
• Pumpkin, duck, pomelo, wine with flowers, and especially moon cake are the common types of food served