CID reflection 7- Festivals in China

                        My group's impression of China's culture.

Researching about the festivals in China really caused me to gain some insight into what festivals the Chinese celebrate in China. Initially, I thought that the festivals that the Chinese celebrate in Singapore would be the same as to the festivals the Chinese celebrate in China. However, I was wrong. While there are festivals in China that we also celebrate in Singapore such as - Chinese New Year, dragon boat festival and mid autumn festival, there are also festivals that China celebrate but Chinese in Singapore don't. For example, Chinese in China celebrate winter solstice, double seventh festival, laba festival and the chongyang festival. These are the festivals that we do not celebrate in Singapore. I researched and found out more about the festivals that I mentioned above. 

Chinese New Year

Chinese New Year, also known as the spring festival,  is widely celebrated in China, and is the most popular festival in China. It is a time for families to be together. Wherever they are, people come home to celebrate the festival with their families.

The New Year's Eve dinner is called Reunion Dinner, and is believed to be the most important meal of the year. Big families – families of several generations sit around round tables and enjoy the food and time together. 

There are many cultural activities that occur during the festival. Rural areas and small towns retain more traditional celebrations, such as setting off firecrackers, ancestor worship, and dragon dances. Setting off firecrackers and fireworks are common during the Spring Festival season all over China.

Dragon boat festival 

Dragon Boat Festival, as known as Duanwu Festival, is a traditional and statutory holiday in China, occurring on the 5th day of the 5th month of China’s lunar calendar. The Chinese will have a day off that day.

The main customs of the celebration include eating rice dumplings zòngzi, hanging calamus, Chinese mugwort, smoked herbs, and Chinese Angelica ; drinking Realgar wine , and racing dragon boats. Dragon boat racing is the most popular traditon.

Mid autumn festival 

The Mid-autumn festival is the second most important festival after the Spring Festival to Chinese people. Every year, when the festival comes people go home from every corner of the country and the world to meet their family and have dinner with them, admire the full moon and eat mooncakes. Chinese people will have a three-day holiday from September 6 to 8 during this festival.

Chinese people believe a full moon is a symbol of peace, prosperity, and family reunion. On Mid-Autumn Festival night the moon is supposed to be the brightest and fullest, which is why the festival is also known as the"Day of Reunion" and the "Moon Festival"

Winter solstice 

I found this festival to be the most interesting, as i find that the name of the festival is very majestic, mysterious and wonderful. The Winter Solstice usually falls around December 21, and more often refers in particular to the day when the sun is exactly at the celestial longitude of 270°. It marks the longest night and the shortest day in the northern hemisphere. In China, the Winter Solstice was originally celebrated as an end-of-harvest festival. Today, it is observed with a family reunion over the long night, and pink and white tangyuan are eaten in sweet broth to symbolize family unity and prosperity. 

Double seventh festival

Falling on the seventh day of seventh lunar month, the Double Seventh Festival in China is what Valentine's Day to the western countries. As it is a day of great importance to girls, the event is also called Young Girls' Festival. Because of the beautiful legend about Niu Lang and Zhi Nu, the festival has been endowed with the meaning of great romance. The story of Niu Lang and Zhi Nu is bittersweet, as the legend of Zhi Nu and Niu Lang ended with Zhi Nu only being allowed to see Niu Lang on the seventh day of the seventh lunar month every year, thus giving the festival the name, "double seventh festival".

Chongyang festival

Held on the 9th day of the 9th lunar month, Chongyang Festival is also called Double Ninth Festival. In Chinese, nine is regarded as the number of Yang (which means masculine as opposed to Yin which is feminine). The ninth day of the ninth month is the day that has two Yang numbers, and 'chong' in Chinese means double which is how the name Chongyang was created. It is a day for people to eat Chongyang cake, drink chrysanthemum wine, climb mountains, and pay homage to chrysanthemums. During the festival, Chongyang cake and chrysanthemum wine is the traditional cuisine. Climbing mountains and admiring beautiful chrysanthemums are interesting events that add to the festival creating a joyous atmosphere.

Laba festival ( rice porridge festival)

Falling on the eighth day of the 12th lunar month, Laba Festival was originally an occasion for people to give sacrifices to their ancestors, and to pray to heaven and earth for a good harvest and good luck for the family. Many years later, it has become a Laba Congee eating event - a porridge that contains different types of rice, beans, dried nuts, bean curd, and meat.After hours of boiling, the porridge is offered as a sacrifice to the ancestors and is presented to friends before noon. Family members eat Laba Porridge together and leave some, symbolizing a good harvest next year. Some kind people hand out the porridge to the poor to show their pity. And in some regions people believe that pasting porridge on the flowers and fruit trees indicates the blossom of flowers and good fruition.

These are the festivals which are widely celebrated in China, and I found all the festivals interesting, as they all have legends and stories behind them. Some of the festivals that are celebrated in China are also celebrated in Singapore, while the others are not. I learnt a lot from researching about the festivals that are celebrated in China but not in Singapore.