Holidays & Traditions 
Chinese Holidays 
 

Chinese New Year 
During the Chinese New Year, Hong Kong's brightly illuminated skyline must be one of its main attractions, not to forget the famous fireworks that take place over the harbor on the second evening of the Chinese New Year. 

This is one of the most important festivals in the Chinese calender, it's a time for people to visit their friends and relatives. Shops are nicely decorated, with red and gold being the official colors of the Chinese New Year. 

Peach blossoms, which symbolize good fortune for the person owning them, can be bought everywhere, as can be little trees growing mandarin-like fruits, which symbolize gold or money to the believers in it. One afternoon of the Chinese New Year, there is a spectacular parade on the 
streets in HK. Celebrations usually continue for 3 days, while some shop owners decide to close down their shops for the whole week. 
 
Ching Ming Festival and Chung Yeung Festival 
The Ching Ming Festical is in the springtime and the Chung Yeung Festival takes place on the ninth day of the ninth moon. They are occasions for visiting ancestral graves. At Chung Yeung, many people climb hills in 
remembrance of an ancient Chinese family that fled to a mountain top to escape plague and death. 

Dragonboat festival 
This is a festival which also combines into a big sporting event that takes place every year in either May or June in Hong Kong.  Qu Yuan was a national hero who drowned himself 2,300 years ago in protest against a corrupt government.  Legend says that as townspeople attempted to rescue him, they beat drums to scare fish away and threw dumplings into the sea to keep the fish from eating Qu Yuan's body. To symbloze the attempted rescue of Qu Yuan, they race narrow long boats made of wood (the front of the boats are carved into a dragon's head, therefore the name) to the beating of a drum. 

Mid-Autumn Festival 
This takes place on the 15th day of the eighth moon. All people, family and friends, come together under the full moon, usually at beaches, carrying bright and beautiful lanterns. They exchange presents, mooncakes, fruit and wine. 


Photos: HTKA (Hong Kong Tourist Association)  

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Symbols and traditions 
 

Contents: 

Chinese New Year 

Ching Ming festival and Chung Yeung Festival 

Dragonboat festival 
 
Mid-Autumn festival 

Chinese New Year New Year's Dragon 
 

Dragonboat Two Dragonboats competing as a part of the Dragonboast festival. 
 

Related topics: 

Overview of Chinese holidays 

American Holidays 

German Holidays

Norwegian holidays and Flag-Flying days  
 

 
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