Festivals in Ancient China CHINESE NEW YEAR Celebrated When The first day of the first month.

Origins This is the biggest festival,oE:the Chinese calendar. It began as China's Spring Festival and took place before the FIrst spring plantings. Ancient farmers gave thanks for the earth's fertility and abundance. They asked to be blessed with a bountiful harvest in the coming year. Chinese New Year continues to be a time to "start fresh," to settle old quarrels and pay back debts. Stories and Legends The Story of the Kitchen God There once was a man, who was considered very bad. He left his wife for a younger woman. His new wife spent all of his money and then kicked him out of the house. While he was out begging for food, he came to the home of his first wife. She took him in. When he realized who she was, he was so ashamed that he jumped into the oven. Because he realized the error of his ways, he was spared and given his life back. Some versions of this story say that the kitchen god is an old woman. The Chinese believe that the kitchen god will come down from Heaven and take stock of how the family is doing. Sweets are left out so all the tales are

good.
The Story of the Nian There once was a monster, named the Nian, who came out of hiding at the end of winter. He terrorized a small village by eating everything in sight, including people. A wise man of the village said that the Nian was afraid of three things; noise, lights, and the color red. The man lit a bonfire, set off firecrackers and painted everyone's doors red. This kept the Nian away and everyone safe. Traditions .The festival lasts for 15 days. During the first three days, businesses and schools are closed. .The house is cleaned to sweep out the old year and bring in good luck. .No cooking is done the FIrst three days, so that no knives are used. A knife may "cut off" good luck. .Honey (or a sweet sugar water) is spread on the lips of household statues of the Kitchen God before the festival. This helps ensure that when he journeys to the Jade Emperor to report on the activities of the family, he will only say sweet things. .Exploring firecrackers are used-t;his day to keep away the Nian. .People hang red banners on their homes to gain protection. .People decorate banners with messages of good will and kindness. They hang these banners outside homes and businesses. Gong xi fa cai, which means "wishing you prosperity" is a common saying.
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.Families come together for special feasts, with foods like kumquats and meat dumplings, to bring them good luck. .Mter the family feast, children stay up late. It is believed that the later they stay awake, the longer the lives their parents will live. .Since red stands for joy, people exchange gifts wrapped in red paper and children receive money in red envelopes. .On the fourth day of the festival, daughters return home to visit their parents. LANTERN FESTIVAL Celebrated When The fIfteenth day of the first month. Origins The Lantern Festival falls on the first full moon of the New Year and celebrates the closing of the New Year's Festivities. Originally the Lantern Festival began as a celebration to welcome back the strengthening light and warmth of the sun, after a long, cold winter. During the Han dynasty, the Lantern Festival also honored a man who ousted an unfair emperor from his throne. During the Tang dynasty, emperors began closing down the government for the Lantern Festival. Traditions .Paper lanterns, in all shapes and sizes, are made and hung outside homes and businesses throughout the town or city. The lanterns welcome back the light of the sun. .Throughout both the New Year and Lantern Festivals, Lion Dancers entertain onlookers. Two to three people, dressed in orange and black, form a lion. Lion dancers are often invited to people's home to bring the household good luck for the coming year. .The high point of the festival, is often the Dragon Dance. Several, often over a dozen, people operate a dragon made from paper or silk and stretched over a bamboo frame. Another dancer holds a red ball, signifying the SuD. In the dance, the dragon tries to catch the sun. H it catches the sun, the dragon will eat it and the earth will no longer have sunlight. Luckily, in the dance, the dragon never catches the sun. QING MING OR PURE BRIGHTNESS DAY Celebrated When The third day of the third month. Origins Qing Ming means "pure brightness" and was originally a day to welcome springtime and the freedom of being outdoors. As time wore on, it became a day to show respect for one's anceltors. Once outside, Chinese people began visiting and caring for the graves of their ancestors. Stories and Legends . The Chinese people often rentember the legend of how the kite helped win a Han dynasty battle, as they celebrate Qing Ming. The legend tells of two states

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that were at war. A clever Han general built a kite strong enough to hold a man. The army flew the kite over the camp of their enemy. The soldier inside the kite sang songs of the enemy, making them so homesick, they left the battle and returned home. Traditions .Families travel into the country to enjoy being outdoors. .People fly kites, shaped like butterflies, birds, frogs, other animals, and heroes from Chinese operas. .People visit the graves of family members. They sweep them clean, pull weeds, and plant new flowers. .People attend Chinese operas, which often honor the spirits. Chinese opera djffers from Italian opera in that it uses songs, mime, speaking parts, and bright costumes.

BIRTHDAY OF TIAN HOD, GODDESS OF THE SEA

Celebrated When The 23rd day of the third month. Origins This celebration developed to honor Tian Hou to help bring about safe and bountiful fishing expeditions. Stories and Legends The legend states that when Tian Hou was a small girl, she had a dream that her father was in danger. She turned herself into a spirit and went to her father's fishing boat to save him. Her ability to calm storms and save sailors from horrible fates won her respect and honor. She continues to be highly revered by the fishers of southern China and Hong Kong. Traditions .Lion and dragon dancers perform, as do stilt walkers and acrobats. .Some cities and villages held community festivals.

DRAGON BOAT FESTIVAL

Celebrated When The ruth day of the fifth month. Origins The Dragon Boat Festival probably began as a way to honor the planting of the rice and to ask for a bountiful harvest. Ancient Chinese people believed that dragons controlled rainfall and the flooding of rivers. They threw rice into the rivers to feed and please the dragons, so they would bring the right amount of rain and river floods. Stories and Legends The legend of the Dragon Boat Festival began more than 2,300 years ago. The legend says that a poet, named Qu Yuan, killed himself over his sadness about how the country was being ruled. "The legend says that he tied a rock to himself and threw himself into the river. .The people of his village were deeply saddened. They threw rice into the fIver to both feed his spirit and to distract the fish from eating his body. Qu Yuan's spirit returned to tell the villagers that the

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river dragon was eating all of the rice. He suggested they wrap the rice in leaves, shaped like pyramids, to disguise it from the dragon. Traditions .People make and eat triangular-shaped rice dumplings. .Rowers participate in rowboat or dragon boat races. The boats are long and narrow, often holding up to 10 rowers. A carved dragon's head is on the bow (front) of the boat and a dragon's tail is mounted to the stern (rear) of the boat. A drummer beats a large drum to help the rowers develop a rhythm for roWIng. THE COWHERD AND THE WEAVING MAIDEN FESTIVAL Celebrated When The day of the seventh month. Origins This festival began as a way to honor the work and contributions of women in Chinese families. Traditions .Women participate in sewing and weaving competitions. HUNGRY GHOSTS FESTIVAL Celebrated When The 15th day of the seventh month. Origins This festival is focused on respect for one's ancestors. Stories and Legends Many Chinese people believed that on the first day of the seventh lunar month, the gates of hell are opened. The spirits have one month to wander around on earth. Spirits return to their families' homes and receive gifts. Because some spirits may not have people to return to, they wander around and may make trouble. Offerings are made to these spirits to please and include them. This is related to the concept of 2 souls -Po and Hun or Shen and Gui. Shen is the kind spririt who helps you, Gui is the mischievous spirit, who might, for example, cause you to trip. Traditions .Paper models of things spirits might need (food, clothing, tools, etc.) are made as gifts for the spirits. People burn these models, so that the objects can travel to the spirits via the smoke. .People also burn paper money, so that the spirits will have some spending money in the spirit world. .At this festival and funerals, people burn incense, called joss sticks, to carry prayers to the spirit world. ~ .People place offerings and burn incense by the roadsides, for spirits for whom don't have homes to returl!. Offerings are placed outside, because many people do not want to invite stranger spirits into their homes.

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MID-AUTUMN FESTIVAL Celebrated When The 15th day of the eighth month. Origins The Mid-Autumn Festival originally began as a festival of thanksgiving for the rice harvest. People enjoyed more free time after the hard work of the harvest was complete and spent the day outside with family. Today, the festival honors the moon and its cycles. The Chinese believe that the moon is at its fullest and brightest on this night. Stories and Legends The Legend o/the Woman in the Moon Once, long ago, ten suns suddenly appeared in the sky. The earth became very hot and people feared that they and their crops would burn up. An archer, named Yi or Hou Yi, shot nine of the suns out of the sky, so that just one remained. As a reward for his actions, the Queen of the Immortals gave Yi a pill which would give him everlasting life. However, in order for the pill to work, he must wait 12 months before taking it. The thought of everlasting life so excited Yi's wife, Chang Er, that she took the pill. She gained the ability to fly and flew to the moon to hide from her husband. Her husband was so sad about the disappearance of his wife that he went to live with the sun. Each month the two see each other again, when the moon is full. Traditions .The day is often spent outside, picnicking and playing and watching the moon rIse. .Because the work of the rice harvest is completed, Mid-Autumn is often a time of family reunions. People have more free time to get together. They often feast together on this day. .Moon Cakes are common treats. They are typically round cakes. Inside each cake is a fIlling, which signifies the full moon. Moon Cakes are typically filled with lotus paste or a cooked egg yolk and have a sweet taste. .Families may visit grave sites to get them ready for winter. WINTER SOLSTICE FESTIVAL Celebrated When The Winter Solstice, typically December 20,21, or 22. Origins This festival began as an acknowledgment of the waning light and heat of the sun as winter approaches. Many traditions involved asking the spirits to return light and warmth to the earth. Traditions .The Winter Solstice Festival is another day of thanksgiving for bountiful harvests and good health. ~ .People, especially children, enjoy tang yuan, a sweet rice treat. .Tang Yuan is offered to ancesto.rs as a sign of family unity.
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