My something new I learned about today:

Apple iPad 2 replicas burned, sent to afterlife in Chinese Qingming festival - LA Times

Qingming is the tomb festival sweeping day. 

Labels: Chinese Festivals

The Hungry Ghost Festival is coming up first before the Moon Festival.  This festival is celebrated on the fifteenth day of the seventh lunar month. For our regular calendar, that is on August 24, 2010.

It's still a month off but humor me as I add some blog posts about information on this Chinese festival.

For starters, it was believed that the gates of the underworld are opened on the 7th month.  Hungry ghosts can now roam the earth when the gates are opened.  To appease these forgotten souls, the Chinese give offerings to these souls on the fifteenth day of the month.  Offerings of food and joss sticks are placed along the roadsides and temples.  These offering are not eleborate like the ones offered for family ancestors.

If you'd like to learn more about the Hungry Ghost Festival, please visit our main site. 

More next time.

Labels: Chinese Festivals

Qing Ming is Grave Sweeping Day.  It is a day to remember the ancestors because as the English name says, you go to your ancestors' grave and clean up.  Of course, you also mark Qing Ming as a time to pray to the ancestors, eat together, light burning paper or light up firecrackers as a sign of respect. 

Tang Emperor Xuan Zong declared Qingming in 732.  The rich folk were too extravagant in honoring their  ancestors that Xuan Zong declared Qingming as the only day to respect one's ancestors. This was celebrated until the holiday was repealed in 1949. It was only very recently celebrated again, just in 2008. 

Labels: Chinese Festivals

Chinese Valentines Day is the 7th day of the the 7th lunar month, and the western calendar equivalent of that is ... tada!.. today!

Chinese Valentines commemorates love for your partner as well as love for family.

Niu Lang and Zhi Nu, a human cowherd and a divine daughter of the Jade Emperor, were separated. One has to live at the star Vega, while the other at star Altair. Once a year, during the 7th day of the 7th month, Niu Lang and Zhi Nu are allowed to meet again. It is said that the couple's 2 children live on 2 the stars beside Altair, awaiting the day when they get to be with their mother again.

Be thankful you have your partner, children and parents, no matter how far away they are. Greet them a happy valentines day and show them you love and appreciate them.

If you want some Chinese Valentines Day coloring pictures, we have some in the festivals section.

Labels: Chinese Festivals, chinese valentines

Chinese Holidays and Festivals

1. Spring/Lunar New year/Chinese New Year Festival (pick your name). I put together an events calendar for the US and Canada, page of background information, lesson plan, etc.
   
2. Lantern Festival - Happens 15 days after Chinese New Year.
   
3. Dragon Head Festival
4. Clear and Bright Festival
5. Dragon Boat Festival - Information includes events calendar for the US & Canada and background information.
6. Double Seventh Night - Chinese Valentines Day
   
7. Mid Autumn Festival, Harvest Festival, Moon Festival - Information includes events calendar for the US & Canada and background information.
8. Double Ninth Day
9. Laba Festival - The Day Budha received enlightenment
   
10. Kitchen God Day
11. Children's Day - June 1st\
12. Ancestor Day or Tomb Sweeping Day - cleaning ancestor tombs is a big event.
13. Ghost Festival
    
14. Mid Winter Festival/Winter Solstice - Chinese Thanksgiving. The day to eat dumplings.
    

Labels: Chinese Festivals

I am in the process of updating my information on Dragon Boat Festival Event and Information . This section on Dragon Boats includes:

• Dragon Boat Calendar of Events for the US and Canada for 2008.
• Customs, Foods, and Background on the Dragon Boat Festival
• I am going to create a page of links for the 40 or so associations in the US.

Good books that have information about Dragon Boat racing are:


Good Luck Life: The Essential Guide To Chinese American Celebrations And Culture
Our Price: $14.95
It has a large section on the Dragon Boat Festival and Racing. 10+ pages if I remember. Best resource for learning about the Dragon Boat Festival A-Z I have seen. Provides a readable introduction to the legends, customs, traditions, festivals, and celebrations of Chinese culture and heritage, complete with trivia, drawings, charts, tables, recipes, and informative sidebars.
Moonbeams, Dumplings & Dragon Boats: A Treasury of Chinese Holiday Tales, Activities & Recipes
Our Price: $21.00 Sale Price: $19.95 You Save $1.05!
Has a couple pages on the Dragon Boat Festival, more for kids. Filled with delectable recipes, hands-on family activities and traditional tales to read aloud, this extraordinary collection will inspire families everywhere to re-create the magic of Chinese holidays in their own homes.


Awakening the Dragon - The Dragon Boat Festival
Our Price: $9.95
Only book I have seen 100% focused on the Dragon Boat Festival. By Arlene Chan, a respected librarian and an experienced dragon boat racer, explores the origins of the festival, customs, and the races themselves. Beautifully detailed illustrations by Song Nan Zhang let you experience the beauty and energy of this ancient festival.

Labels: Chinese Festivals, dragon boat festival

I have put together the most complete list of Chinese Moon Festival events with over 50+ events across the US and Canada. The Moon Festival is one of the major Holidays celebrated by Chinese and is a time for families to gather is on the 15^th day of the 8^th Lunar Month per the Chinese calendar, this year is on September 25, 2007. The Moon or Autumn Festival events listed range from festivals to dinners to parades for 20 states and vary in dates.

Mei Mei Hu had kind words - she has great Chinese language learning videos that I sell:
"This is a great list for all of those seeking to find information about local Moon Festival events".

Locations include from California at the Joss House in Weaverville to the giant festival in San Francisco to Washington DC to New York City. Celebrations range from Dances to performances to parades.

Chinese Moon Festival Information including recommended books, calendar of events, lesson plans, and more. Traditional activities are eating moon cakes with your family, while enjoying the brightest moon of the year when the Moon and Earth are closest. The Moon Festival is also called the mid-Autumn Festival.

And yes, luckily Childbook.com does have a few books on the Moon Festival or visit my wifes site for some beautiful children's Chinese Dresses at www.elitedresses.com

Labels: Calendar of Events, Chinese Festivals, Chinese moon festival, moon cakes, Moon Festival