Chinese Lunar Calendar and Holidays- From the Professional Document Translators @ Amerigo Language Solutions

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Chinese Holidays

Chinese New Year

The Chinese New Year is celebrated
beginning on the first day of the first
month of the Chinese calendar. The
celebration ends on the 15th day of the
first month with the Lantern Festival.
The next Chinese New Year will begin on
February 14, 2010

The Lantern Festival

The Lantern Festival marks the end of
the Chinese New Year celebration.
Children celebrate the Lantern Festival
at night by carrying paper lanterns to
their local temples. The next Lantern
Festival will occur on February 28,
2010.

Qingming

Usually beginning on April 5th local
time, Qingming marks the moment when
the sun reaches a celestial longitude of
15°. Qingming ends when the sun
reaches a celestial longitude of 30°. On
this day, families tend to the gravesites
of their ancestors. The next Qingming
will be on April 4, 2009.

The Dragon Boat Festival celebrates the
life of Qu Yuan, a minister to the Zhou
emperor. He is regarded as an honest
and wise man who fought corruption in
China. People celebrate this day by
participating or watching dragon boat
races, which are long row boats
designed to look like dragons. The next
Dragon Boat Festival will be on May 28,
2009.

The Dragon Boat Festival

National Day of the People's
Republic of China

The National Day of the People's
Republic of China marks the
anniversary of the formation of the PRC,
which was founded on October 1, 1949
in Tiannamen Square in the city of
Beijing. The nest National Day of the
People's Republic of China will be
observed on October 1, 2009.

The Chinese Lunar Calendar

The traditional Chinese calendar follows
the lunar year. In addition, there is a
cyclical assignment of a symbolic
animal to each year. It is commonly
believed that the animal year under
which a person is born has a great
impact on his or her personality. Below
is a listing of the animals, their
significance and when they will occur
next:

The Year of the Rat: People born
under this sign are said to be successful
and charming. They are also easily
angered and love gossip. 2008 was the
year of the Rat. 2020 will be the next
year of the Rat.

The Year of the Ox: People born
under this sign are considered to be
patient and inspire confidence in those
around them. They can also be
eccentric and sometimes bigoted. 2009
is the year of the Ox.

The Year of the Tiger: Tiger people
are sensitive and think deeply. Being
deep thinkers, they can sometimes
come into conflict with authority
figures. 2010 is the next year of the
Tiger.

The Year of the Rabbit: Articulate
and ambitious, people of this sign are
also considered to be conservative and
wise. 2011 is the next year of the Rabbit.

The Year of the Dragon: People of
the Dragon are healthy and energetic,
but also stubborn. 2012 is the next year
of the Dragon.

The Year of the Snake: Financially
stable wise, people of the Snake are
often vain and somewhat selfish. 2013 is
the next year of the Snake.

The Year of the Horse: Being born
under the Horse sign bestows great
cheer and accurate perception in
people. 2014 is the next year of the
Horse.

The Year of the Ram: Those born
under this sign are said to be highly
accomplished in the arts. 2015 is the
next year of the Ram.

The Year of the Monkey: This sign is
associated with erratic genius. They are
generally successful in all that they do,
but are sometimes too agreeable. 2016
is the next year of the Monkey.

The Year of the Rooster: Deep
thinkers with much talent, people of the
Rooster are perfectionist. This
perfectionism sometimes leads to
difficult relationships with others. 2017
is the next year of the Rooster.

Year of the Dog: Dog sign people are
intensely loyal. They are equally
eccentric, though. 2018 is the next year
of the Dog.

Year of the Pig: Birth under the Pig
sign suggests that a person will be
chivalrous and forceful. They talk little
and are intellectually curious. 2019 is
the next year of the Pig.

Qi Xi, The Night of Sevens

The Night of Sevens celebrates the stars
Altair and Vega, which represents to the
Chinese the story of the Cowherd and
the Weavergirl, a mythical Chinese
Romeo and Juliet story. Young and
single women make an offering to the
Cowherd and the Weavergirl. It is
believed that this will bestow the beauty
of the Weavergirl on the women who
participate. The next Qi Xi will be on
August 26, 2009.

The Ghost Festival

Celebrated on the 15th day of the
seventh month of the Chinese Lunar
Calendar, it is believed that on this day
ghosts descend to the lower realm,
Earth, to be among their descendants.
This is a day for descendants to pay
homage to their deceased family
members. The next Ghost festival falls
on September 3, 2009.

The Moon Festival

The Moon Festival is a harvest festival
held on the 15th day of the eight month
of the Chinese calendar. On this day,
thick Chinese pastries, known as
mooncakes, are eaten under the full
harvest moon. The next Moon Festival
is October 3, 2009

The Winter Solstice Festival

The Winter Solstice Festival occurs on
the day when sunlight is weakest and the
daytime is shortest, around the end of
December. This day is celebrated as a
sign that the coming days will be longer
and sunnier. Family get togethers are
common on this day. The next Winter
Solstice Festival will be held on
December 21st, 2009.

The Lunar Calendar

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