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Laba Festival
Learn Chinese - History and Culture

Laba FestivalLaba Festival (là bā jié 腊八) is celebrated on the eighth day of the last lunar month, referring to the traditional start of celebrations for the Chinese New Year. "腊"(là) in Chinese means the 12th lunar month and "八"(bā)  means eight.

The majority Han Chinese have long followed the tradition of eating Laba rice porridge on the Laba Festival. The date usually falls in mid-January.

Legend
Laba rice porridge (là bā zhōu 腊八粥) was first introduced to China in the Song Dynasty (sòng cháo 宋朝) about 900 years ago.

Buddhism was well accepted in the areas inhabited by the Han Chinese, who believed that Sakyamuni (shì jiā móu ní 释迦牟尼), the first Buddha and founder of the religion, attained enlightenment on the eighth day of the twelfth month. Sutras (fó jīng 佛经) were chanted in the temples and rice porridge with beans, nuts and dried fruit was prepared for the Buddha. With the passing of time the custom extended, especially in rural areas where peasants would pray for a plentiful harvest in this way.

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Double Ninth Festival
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Double Ninth FestivalThe 9th day of the 9th lunar month is the traditional Chongyang Festival (chóng yáng jié 重阳节), or Double Ninth Festival.

It usually falls in October in the Gregorian calendar. In an ancient and mysterious book Yi Jing (yì jīng 易经), or The Book of Changes, number "6" was thought to be of Yin (yīn 阴) character, meaning feminine or negative, while number "9" was thought to be Yang (yáng 阳), meaning masculine or positive. So the number nine in both month and day create the Double Ninth Festival, or Chongyang Festival. Chong in Chinese means "double." Also, as double ninth was pronounced the same as the word to signify "forever", both are "Jiu Jiu" (jiǔ jiǔ 九九), the Chinese ancestors considered it an auspicious day worth celebration. That's why ancient Chinese began to celebrate this festival long time ago.

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Double Seventh Festival
Learn Chinese - History and Culture

               alt
The Double Seventh Festival (qī xī 七夕), on the 7th day of the 7th lunar month, is a traditional festival full of romance. It often goes into August in the Gregorian calendar. This festival is in mid-summer when the weather is warm and the grass and trees reveal their luxurious greens. At night when the sky is dotted with stars, and people can see the Milky Way spanning from the north to the south. On each bank of it is a bright star, which see each other from afar. They are the Cowherd and Weaver Maid, and about them there is a beautiful love story passed down from generation to generation.

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Lantern Festival
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           Lantern
Falling of the 15th day of the first lunar month in China, the Lantern Festival (yuán xiāo jié 元宵节) is a traditional festival in China. The first lunar month is called “zhengyue”(zhēng yuè 正月) by Chinese people, and in ancient times it is called “xiao”(xiāo 宵). As early as the Western Han Dynasty (xī hàn 西汉, 206 BC-AD 25), it had become a festival with great significance. It is the first important festival after Spring Festival (chūn jié 春节).
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Spring Festival
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altJust as important as Christmas for the westerners, Spring Festival (chūn jié 春节) is the most important festival for the Chinese people, when all family members get together, no matter how far away they live from home. It makes the transportation systems the busiest in one year, which usually lasts for about half a month. During this period, airports, railway stations and long-distance bus stations are crowded with home returnees.

The Spring Festival falls on the 1st day of the 1st lunar month, often one month later than the Gregorian calendar. It originated in the Shang Dynasty (shāng cháo 商朝, 1600 BC-1100 BC) from the people's sacrifice to gods and ancestors at the end of an old year and the beginning of a new one.

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Chinese Festivals(the Chinese calendar)
Learn Chinese - History and Culture
中国节日(农历) Chinese Festivals(the Chinese calendar)  

农历正月初一 春节(the Spring Festival)

农历正月十五 元宵节(Lantern Festival)

农历五月初五 端午节(the Dragon-Boat Festival)

农历七月初七 乞巧节(中国情人节)(Double-Seventh Day)

农历八月十五 中秋节(the Mid-Autumn Festival)

农历九月初九 重阳节(the Double Ninth Festival)

农历腊月初八 腊八节(the laba Rice Porridge Festival)
 
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